Trapping of oil in an epoxy-based polymer matrix with activated carbon and its effect on tribological behavior

Abstract

The incorporation of lubricating oil at high levels in the epoxy composite materials makes it possible to obtain materials with low friction and wear. This article evaluates the wear behaviour of an epoxy-based composite obtained by the addition of lubricating oil and activated carbon. An oil content of up to 31wt% is trapped and maintained in the matrix by the presence of activated carbon. The wear experiments are carried out on a pin-on-disk type tribometer. The tests are carried out on pins of different compositions sliding on steel discs (XC48) under dry friction conditions. The effect of various parameters such as speed and loading has been investigated. The wear surfaces are analyzed by using a scanning electron microscope to observe the different wear mechanisms. The results show that the addition of activated carbon made it possible to trap large quantities of oil in the matrix. This decreased greatly the coefficient of friction and increased the capacity of the sample to withstand higher values of sliding velocities and pressures.

Keywords

• self-lubricating, polymers, wear, friction