Compression and wear behavior of composites filled with various nanoparticles

Extrusion compression and dry sliding were carried out on the various nanoparticle filled composites by using cylindrical specimens. To study the effect of exfoliated nanoparticles on the epoxy matrix to friction and wear, Na-montmorillonite and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were prepared with the filler content varied from 0 to 10 vol.%. Compression tests were conducted by using cylindrical blocks to obtain the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. To determine the tribological property, the sliding wear tests with high pressure were performed at room temperatures by using a block-on-disc apparatus. The morphologies of the wear trace and the interlayer mechanism of the as-spun material were obtained by using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental results showed that the compression strength, fracture strength and Young's modulus for both reinforced nanocomposites are much higher than that of pure epoxy matrix. The friction coefficient and wear coefficient of Cloisite(R) 30B nanocomposites were effectively reduced with rising filler content which should be attributed to the improved dispersion of the nanoparticles. Finally, the SEM observation on the wear tracks surface for the pure epoxy matrix and its composites filled with various kinds of nanoparticle will be discussed. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.