Experimental and analytical study of glass fiber filler material on polyoxymethylene copolymer: structural, thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties

Abstract

In the current study, a mixture of polyoxymethylene copolymer (POM C) and a variable content of glass fiber (5%, 10%, and 20% (by weight)) were taken into consideration to explore the effect of fiber content on tribological, mechanical, thermal, and physical behavior. All the test specimens were manufactured using an injection molding machine, and the proportion of POM C to GF weight was changed during the process. According on the Taguchi L16 orthogonal array, the experiment was carried out with the aim of determining the coefficient of friction and specific wear rate under a range of normal loads (namely, 5, 10, 20, and 30 N), sliding speeds (namely, 200, 400, 600, and 800 rpm), and run times (namely, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min) with varying weight percentages of GF (namely, 5%, 10%, and 20% (by weight)) throughout the experiment. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the most significance factors that affect the output function (i.e., COF and SWR). The obtained results showed that the addition of GF significantly enhanced the tribological, mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of POM C. The POM C with a 10% (by weight) of GF exhibited superior tribological properties as because of its enhanced interfacial bonding characteristics, resulting to increased wear resistance.

Graphical abstract