Design and Study of Nanomodified Composite Fluoropolymer Materials for Tribotechnical Purposes

This paper reports the analytical and experimental studies aimed at designing and modeling fluoropolymer anti-friction materials. The optimal ratios of the total surface of polymer particles to the total surface of filler particles for different brands of fluoropolymer-4 have been determined, as well as the critical concentrations of the modifiers of fluoropolymer anti-friction materials. The calculations of antifriction carboplastics' elasticity modules indicate the existence of adhesion between carbon fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene. When constructing composites that combine high durable and tribotechnical characteristics, it is advisable to combine modifiers with different dispersion and polymer-oligomeric matrices, which enables the implementation of the principle of multilevel modifying. It has been established that the adhesion between carbon fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene can be improved by applying a fluoropolymer coating onto the surface of carbon fibers or by modifying with zirconium oxide nanopowders. The binary fluoropolymer matrix applied to the surface of carbon fiber can be used as an effective base for composite materials. This study has demonstrated that filling polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with coke, carbon fibers (18‒19.5 % by weight), and zirconium oxide nanopowders in the amount of up to 2 % by weight produces materials with high mechanical characteristics and durability. It has been shown that the existence of an oligomer component improves the thermodynamic compatibility at the interface and promotes the plasticization of the PTFE boundary layers. Molecular structure with a certain orientation of coke and carbon fiber in the interphase areas is inherent in the materials with improved physical and mechanical properties.