Tribological properties of silica-graphene nano platelet composites

0435411 - ÚFM 2015 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Porwal, H. - Tatarko, P. - Saggar, Richa - Grasso, S. - Mani, M.K. - Dlouhý, Ivo - Dusza, J. - Reece, M.J.
Tribological properties of silica-graphene nano platelet composites.
Ceramics International. Roč. 40, č. 8 (2014), s. 12067-12074. ISSN 0272-8842. E-ISSN 1873-3956
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 264526 - GLACERCO
Institutional support: RVO:68081723
Keywords : wear resistance * friction coefficient * graphene nano-platelets * silica * SPS
Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy
Impact factor: 2.605, year: 2014

Graphene nano-platelets (GNP) were synthesised using a liquid phase exfoliation method and then used to produce well dispersed silica–GNP composites. The tribological properties of the silica–GNP composites with different vol% GNP loading were investigated. The wear behaviour at room temperature was studied using a ball on disc technique with alumina and borosilicate (BS) balls as the tribological counterpart. In the case of alumina balls, GNP above a critical concentration decreased the coefficient of friction of the composite by ~20% while increasing the wear resistance of the composite by ~5.5 times. In the case of using BS balls there was an improvement of ~8.5 times in the wear resistance while the coefficient of friction did not change. In both cases a percolating network of GNP above a critical concentration provided a lubricating effect to the silica matrix, resulting in a significant improvement in the tribological properties of the nano-composites. The extent of damage to GNP during tribology testing was quantified using Raman spectroscopy.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0239442