Study of the synergistic effects of fiber orientation, fiber phase and resin phase in a fiber-reinforced composite material on its tribological properties

A new fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) material composed of phenolic resin, nylon fabric and graphene was fabricated and tested to investigate the synergistic effects of fiber orientation, fiber and resin on the tribological properties of FRC materials. The experimental wear tests, where the FRC material specimens were worn against Si3N4 ceramic balls, were conducted using R-tec commercial tribotester. The coefficients of friction (COF), wear profiles and micro-morphologies of the test specimens were determined and compared. The mechanical properties of the test specimens were analyzed to discern their friction and wear mechanisms. The experimental results showed that fiber with a high shore hardness and good a heat distortion temperature produced good wear resistance, as the reinforcing phase in the FRC material. The resin phase became soft and deformed easily during the wear process, because of its low heat distortion temperature, which caused it to migrate to the contact surfaces where it acted as a lubricant. Both the perpendicular and parallel fiber surfaces exhibited a low COF and excellent wear-resistance properties. The large non-uniform wear of the fiber nodes and the resin at the fiber node surface produced a rough surface resulting in substantial wear and a high COF. The understanding gained herein was helpful in comprehending the effects of the various phases in FRC materials as well as the FRC friction and wear mechanisms, and will be useful for future design of FRC materials with low friction, and high wear resistance properties.