Thermo-tribological characteristics of polyester composites containing aluminium particles and network

Abstract

Wear is the major mode of failure in machine components made out of polymer and its composites. The low thermal conductivity of the polymer causes heat accumulation near the contact surface and the resulting thermal softening accelerates the wear. In this research work, an attempt is made to enhance the thermal conductivity and wear resistance of the polymer composite using the network reinforcement. Two different composite specimens were prepared with an equal quantity of reinforcement with different geometric form - one with discrete particles and another with the interconnected network. The thermal conductivity and tribological properties of the composites were measured. In particle reinforced composite, the presence of low thermal conductive matrix between the discrete particles act as a barrier for heat conduction and does not enhance the thermal conductivity considerably. In the case of network reinforced composite, the three-dimensional continuity provides an effective heat transfer path and increases the thermal conductivity significantly. The reinforcement in the form of network reduces the wear significantly compared to discrete particle form. The struts in the network reinforcements enhance the strength and arrest the removal of material from the surface.

Keywords

• polymer composite
• network reinforcement
• thermal conductivity
• coefficient of friction
• wear