Tribological, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene Filled with Al-Cu-Cr Quasicrystals, Polytetrafluoroethylene, Synthetic Graphite and Carbon Black

Polymers (Basel). 2021 Mar 4;13(5):781. doi: 10.3390/polym13050781.

Abstract

Antifriction hybrid fluorinated ethylene propylene-based composites filled with quasicrystalline Al73Cu11Cr16 powder, polytetrafluoroethylene, synthetic graphite and carbon black were elaborated and investigated. Composite samples were formed by high-energy ball milling of initial powders mixture with subsequent consolidation by injection molding. Thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties of the obtained composites were studied. It was found that composite containing 5 wt.% of Al73Cu11Cr16 quasicrystals and 2 wt.% of nanosized polytetrafluoroethylene has 50 times better wear resistance and a 1.5 times lower coefficient of dry friction comparing with unfilled fluorinated ethylene propylene. Addition of 15 wt.% of synthetic graphite to the above mentioned composition allows to achieve an increase in thermal conductivity in 2.5 times comparing with unfilled fluorinated ethylene propylene, at that this composite kept excellent tribological properties.

Keywords: ball milling; coefficient of friction; composites; fluoroplastic; injection molding; polytetrafluoroethylene; quasicrystals; thermal conductivity; wear resistance.