Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical and Surface Properties of Sub-Micron Carbon Spheres

Enhancing the Tribological Properties of Low-Density Polyethylene Using Hard Carbon Microfillers

The application of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) has been confined to packaging applications due to its inadequate mechanical and tribological characteristics. We propose enhancing LDPE by integrating hard carbon spheres (CSs) to improve its strength, frictional characteristics, and wear resistance. LDPE/CS composites were created by blending LDPE with varying CS amounts (0.5-8 wt.%). Analysis using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirmed CS presence in the LDPE matrix, with X-ray diffraction showing no microstructural changes post-blending. Thermal characterization exhibited notable improvements in thermal stability (~4%) and crystallinity (~7%). Mechanical properties such as hardness and Young's modulus were improved by up to 4% and 24%, respectively. Tribological studies on different composite samples with varying surface roughness under various load and speed conditions revealed the critical role of surface roughness in reducing friction by decreasing real contact area and adhesive interactions between asperities. Increased load and speed amplified shear stress on asperities, possibly leading to deformation and failure. Notably, integrating CSs into LDPE, starting at 1 wt.%, effectively reduced friction and wear. The composite with the highest loading (8 wt.%) displayed the most significant tribological enhancement, achieving a remarkable 75% friction reduction and a substantial 78% wear reduction.

Experimental Study of the Lubrication Mechanism of Micro-Spherical Solid Particles between Flat Surfaces

In this study, a novel apparatus was designed and constructed to perform micro-sliding friction experiments while simultaneously observing the motion of micro-sized spheres using a visual inspection technique. The apparatus comprises a precision elevation stage that is used to elevate a flat mica disk, with the microspheres on top of it, to bring it into contact with a stationary surface and apply low loads on the contact. During micro-sliding experiments, it was found that the velocity of the center of the microsphere was half the velocity of the mica disk; in addition, friction force measurements revealed a very low coefficient of friction (about 0.03), indicating the rolling motion of the microspheres. The main outcome of our study was the verification of the hypothesis that spherical particles can be used to avoid direct contact among flat surfaces and can also introduce rolling motion within the system. The pure rolling motion of the microspheres sandwiched between a stationary and a moving flat surface supports the idea of adding rigid spherical particles to oil lubricants to further reduce friction and wear in the system by performing as micro and nanoscale ball bearings.