Application of Wood-Utilized Synthesized Copper-Based Particle for the Improvement of Wear Resistance of Epoxy Resin

Abstract

Improving the wear resistance of polymer-based materials can lead to high energy efficiency of transport machineries owing to the higher strength-to-weight ratio. Oxidized wood-utilized synthesized copper-based particles (OWCu) was incorporated into epoxy resin to investigate its effect on the wear resistance of OWCu-incorporated epoxy with the steel counterpart using a ball-on-plate tribometer. OWCu was mainly composed of CuO with a small amount of graphitic carbon, and the average particle size was approximately 0.5 μm. A higher wear resistance was observed for the OWCu-incorporated epoxy at more than 0.6 mass% compared to the neat epoxy. The mechanism for the improvement of the wear resistance property was discussed, and it was revealed that the surface roughness of the steel counterpart was maintained at a low level for the OWCu-incorporated epoxy, which played a dominant role in reducing the wear of the OWCu-incorporated epoxy. The polishing effect of OWCu could reduce the surface roughness of the steel counterpart in the friction process. In addition, at higher concentrations of more than 5.0 mass%, OWCu adhered to the steel surface, which decreased the wear of the steel surface. OWCu is a promising material to enhance the wear resistance of polymer-based materials, especially with low elongation.

Keywords

• copper-based particle
• wood-utilized synthesis
• friction
• wear resistance
• epoxy