Tribological properties of hybrid Kevlar/PTFE fabric reinforced phenolic composite filled with nano-alumina

The hybrid Kevlar/PTFE (polytetrafluroethylene) fabric composite was prepared by impregnating of Kevlar/PTFE fabric in phenolic resin containing nano-alumina and the successive curing. To investigate the effects of nano-alumina on the tribological properties of the fabric composite, wear tests were performed on block-on-ring friction and wear tester. The tensile properties of the composite was evaluated on universal material testing machine. The Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was utilized to observe the morphologies of worn surfaces of the fabric composite and the counterface. The results show that the addition of nano-alumina improve the wear resistance and the tensile resistance properties, but increase the friction coefficient. The SEM observations indicate that microcutting and plastic deformation are the main wear mechanisms of the composites. Finally, the possible mechanisms of the influences of the nano-alumina on the tribological properties were discussed.