Preparation of Carbon Nanotubes/Alumina Hybrid-Filled Phenolic Composite with Enhanced Wear Resistance

Abstract

Hybrid fillers can be produced via various methods, such as physical mixing and chemical modification. However, there is a limited number of studies on the effect of hybridisation on the mechanical performance of hybrid filler-reinforced polymer composites, especially in the context of wear performance. This study investigated the wear resistance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/alumina hybrid-filled phenolic composite, where two hybrid methods were used to produce the CNTs/alumina hybrid filler. The CNTs/alumina (CVD hybrid) was synthesised using the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method, whereas the CNTs-/alumina (physically hybrid) was prepared using the ball milling method. The CNTs/alumina hybrid filler was then used as a filler in the phenolic composites. The composites were prepared using a hot mounting press and then subjected to a dry sliding wear test using a pin-on-disc (POD) tester. The results show that the composite filled with the CVD hybrid filler (HYB composite) had better wear resistance than the composite filled with physically hybrid filler (PHY composite) and pure phenolic. At 5 wt%, the HYB composite showed a 74.68% reduction in wear, while the PHY composite showed a 56.44% reduction in wear compared to pure phenolic. The HYB composite exhibited the lowest average coefficient of friction (COF) compared to the PHY composite and pure phenolic. The average COF decreased with increasing sliding speeds and applied loads. The phenolic composites’ wear and average COF are in the order HYB composite < PHY composite < pure phenolic under all sliding speeds and applied loads.