Role of Reinforcement Materials on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of PTFE Composites

The use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in various industrial applications under extreme operating conditions makes it very important to determine the behavior of this material. The mechanical and wear properties of PTFE can be enhanced by adding filler materials. This study focused on both the mechanical and tribological properties of PTFE and its composites with a 25 wt% addition of carbon and glass fiber (GF). Glass transition temperature (T_g), hardness, tensile, and impact tests were carried out to determine the mechanical and physical properties of PTFE. In addition, abrasive wear tests were applied to obtain wear behavior. The tensile strength values of the pure and C/GF-filled PTFE were found as 28, 16.7, and 18.6MPa, respectively. Tensile tests clearly showed that the filler materials led to a reduction of the tensile strength and elongation at break of the PTFE. Impact energy values were similarly decreased by the addition of filler materials. However, the carbon and GF additions significantly increased the abrasive wear resistance and T_g of the PTFE. Consequently, carbon and GF-filled PTFE would be a suitable candidate for use in tribological applications.