THE INFLUENCE OF GRAPHITE ADDITION ON TRIBOLOGICALPROPERTIES OF POLYLACTIDE (PLA)

Plastics are widely used due to their numerous advantages. Unfortunately, most of their types do not decomposequickly in the natural environment, causing environmental pollution. In order to counteract the problem ofwaste, there is a growing interest in plastics that degrade under the influence of the natural environment.The authors of this article are trying to use biodegradable plastic for sliding elements. Polylactide (PLA)is a biodegradable, environmentally friendly polymer; however, it has a high wear and friction coefficientwhen working with steel. It was decided to check whether the addition of 10% graphite (a commonly used,environmentally friendly modifier) would improve the tribological properties of PLA. Using a pin-on-discstation, the coefficient of friction, wear and temperature of the sample were determined depending on thespeed of cooperation and pressure. The addition of graphite significantly reduced the linear wear of thecomposite in a wide range of parameters (sliding speed and pressure), slightly decreased the coefficient offriction and slightly increased the temperature of the composite.