Effect of Nanofillers on Tribological Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites: A Review on Recent Development

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites with enhanced performances are becoming a trend in the current research field, overcoming the limitations of bulk polymer and meeting the demands of market and society in tribological applications. Polytetrafluoroethylene, poly(ether ether ketone) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene are the most popular polymers in recent research on tribology. Current work comprehensively reviews recent advancements of polymer nanocomposites in tribology. The influence of different types of nanofiller, such as carbon-based nanofiller, silicon-based nanofiller, metal oxide nanofiller and hybrid nanofiller, on the tribological performance of thermoplastic and thermoset nanocomposites is discussed. Since the tribological properties of polymer nanocomposites are not intrinsic but are dependent on sliding conditions, direct comparison between different types of nanofiller or the same nanofiller of different morphologies and structures is not feasible. Friction and wear rate are normalized to indicate relative improvement by different fillers. Emphasis is given to the effect of nanofiller content and surface modification of nanofillers on friction, wear resistance, wear mechanism and transfer film formation of its nanocomposites. Limitations from the previous works are addressed and future research on tribology of polymer nanocomposites is proposed.

Development and Characterization of Cornstarch-Based Bioplastics Packaging Film Using a Combination of Different Plasticizers

“…Due to its ability as a linking matrix between fillers, starch is the most used biopolymer for the fabrication of biofilms with high performance and biodegradability [30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Additionally, it is more attractive for the industrial sector because of its availability and cost-effectiveness [37].…”

Use of Industrial Wastes as Sustainable Nutrient Sources for Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Production: Mechanism, Advances, and Future Perspectives

“…BC has also been used widely in biomedical applications such as wound-dressing [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ] (applied on the wounded torso, hand, and face) and cell culture [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ] because of its excellent flexibility, high mechanical strength at wet state, water holding capacity, very low risk for irritation due to its ultra-high purity, hygroscopicity, liquid/gasses permeability, and ease of wound inspection due to its transparency. Biopolymer such as polylactic acid (PLA), starch, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ], and synthetic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and unsaturated polyester (UP) [ 57 , 58 ] are potential polymers to be reinforced with BC. The outstanding properties of BC such as biodegradability, good controllability during BC production, and possessing net-like morphology that is almost similar to human collagen as a biomimetic feature makes it favoured in the medical field and has been widely utilized in controlled drug delivery [ 59 ], medical pads [ 41 ], artificial skin [ 7 , 60 ], cartilage [ 61 ] and bone [ 62 , 63 ], bone tissue engineering scaffolds [ 64 , 65 , 66 ], hormones [ 72 ], and nerve guides for spinal cord injury treatment [ 73 ].…”

The Reduction in the Deformation of HDPE Composites Using Self-Lubricating Fillers in an Aqueous Environment

“…Polymer matrix composites are used in various fields, such as automotive, aircraft, aerospace, and marine machinery, due to their exceptional mechanical and physical properties [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Polymeric composites have replaced conventional metal parts in ships because they are light-weight and wear-resistant.…”