Fabrication and tribological behavior of MnO2/epoxy nanocomposites

Tribology is the study of moving surfaces, and it has a variety of effects on our lives. From an economic point of view, wear is one of the most important aspects of an industry’s viability. Parts of the machine can wear out, and they need to be replaced. This is especially important for polymer-based materials. Therefore, it is important to reduce maintenance costs and improve machine reliability in a variety of engineering applications through proper material selection. The present investigation deals with the fabrication of manganese dioxide (MnO2)/epoxy nanocomposite and investigates its tribological properties. The MnO2/epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated via a solution mixing technique. The phase identification and surface morphology of the sample was examined by X-ray diffractometer and field emission scanning electron microscope, respectively. The mass density, micro-hardness, and specific wear rate data of samples revealed that the mass density, micro-hardness, and wear resistance of the samples increased with the addition of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix. The nanocomposite sample containing 0.5 wt. % MnO2 loading in the epoxy matrix shows higher density, micro-hardness, and wear resistance compared to other samples. The result also shows that with the addition of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix, the coefficient of friction of the samples is increased. The percentage reduction in specific wear rate due to the addition of 0.5 wt. % MnO2 in neat epoxy is 68.10%, whereas the percentage increase in the coefficient of friction is 19.30%. The results of the analysis of variance show the effect of adding wt. % of MnO2 in the epoxy matrix is significant in the tribological responses. The worn surface analysis shows that the fatigue wear mode seems to be the dominating mode of wear for all samples as compared to the other modes of wear. The properties of MnO2/epoxy nanocomposite data revealed that the developed material may be used in the automotive industry as a structural material, fabrication of snow sled, ball bearing housing, or plastic gear materials with adequate lubrication.

Enhanced thermal conductivity of polyimide composite film filled with hybrid fillers

In this article, the polyimide (PI) composite films with synergistically improving thermal conductivity were prepared by adding a few graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) and various hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) contents into the PI matrix. The thermal conductivity of PI composite film with 1 wt% GNP and 30 wt% h-BN content was 1.21 W(m·k)−1, which was higher than that of the PI composite film with 30 wt% h-BN content (0.45 W(m·k)−1), the synergistic efficiency of GNP under various h-BN content (10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt%) were 1.70, 2.71, and 3.09, respectively. And it was found that the increased h-BN content can suppress the dielectric properties caused by GNP in the matrix. The dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss tangent of 1 wt% GNP/PI composite film were 10.69, 0.661 at 103 Hz, respectively, and that of the 30 wt% h-BN + GNP/PI composite film were 4.29 and 0.1367, respectively. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the PI composite film were suitable for practical applications. And the heat resistance index and the residual rate at 700°C of PI composite film increased to 326.8°C, 74.43%, respectively, and these of PI film were 292.6°C and 59.26%. Thus, it may provide a reference value for applying the filler hybridization/PI film in the electronic packaging materials.