Significant improvement of tribological performances of polyamide 46/polyphenylene oxide alloy by functionalized zirconium phosphate

A functionalized zirconium phosphate (FZrP) nanosheet was synthesized and introduced to PA46/PPO alloy as a solid lubricant. FZrP showed a high efficiency in improving the tribological performances, mechanical properties and moisture resistance of PA46/PPO. With the incorporation of 2.0% FZrP, the wear loss and friction coefficient of PA/PPO were decreased by 94.48% and 56.60%, respectively. Moreover, the friction and wear mechanism of FZrP was intensively studied and revealed: FZrP nanosheet retained and accumulated on the wear surface because of its strong interfacial binding force with the matrix, which resulted in the formation of a protective layer with good strength, tenacity and lubricity to resist severe wear damage.