Investigating tribological performance in 3D-printed PETG/graphene composites of varying composition

Abstract

This work examines the effects of several graphene compositions (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1 wt%) on 3D-printed polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) composites on their sliding wear properties that were created using fused deposition modeling (FDM) following ASTM G99-05 guidelines and the filament of each composition with a diameter of 1.75 mm has been prepared by the compounding and blending process using twin-screw extruder. The sliding wear characteristics are systematically assessed using a pin-on-disc tribometer, with three parameters: a load of 10  N, a standardized wear track diameter of 70 mm, and a rotational speed of 300 r/min. This innovative study explores the impact of low graphene loading on the sliding wear and coefficient of friction of PETG composites, revealing how minimal graphene enhancements significantly decrease wear rates and friction levels. These insights facilitate the development of PETG-based materials with tailored tribological properties, ideal for high-wear applications in industries such as automotive and aerospace, where material longevity and performance are critically important. The investigation showed that the reinforcement of graphene in PETG reduced the coefficient of friction (CoF) and showed better results when graphene’s weight percentage increased from 0.06 wt% to 0.1 wt%. However, it did not help to minimize the specific wear rate (SWR) at the selected parameters for the sliding wear test. Out of all other concentrations of PETG/graphene composites, 0.04 wt% of graphene reinforcement showed a lower SWR but not less than pure PETG. Further, an investigation needs to be done for the discrepancies in the results.