Study on the friction and wear properties of the composites made of surface modified-Nomex fabrics

The untreated, bromine-etched and bromoacetic acid-grafted Nomex fabrics were used to prepare Nomex fabric composites (NFC) by dip-coating in a phenolic resin. The friction coefficient, wear rate and the contact temperatures of the composites were evaluated with a Xuanwu-III high temperature friction and wear tester in a dry sliding condition. Their adhesion and tensile strength were evaluated on a DY35 universal materials testing machine, respectively. The untreated and grafted-Nomex fabrics were characterized with infrared spectroscopy. It was observed that the bromine-etching and bromoacetic acid-grafting could improve the anti-wear, friction-reducing and the load-carrying abilities of the Nomex fabric composites. Nomex fabric composites made of the bromoacetic acid-grafted Nomex fabric exhibited the best anti-wear properties and the largest adhesion strength. The holistic structure and the bonding strength between the Nomex fabric and binder of the composite were enhanced significantly when the Nomex fabric was modified with bromine-etching and bromoacetic acid-grafting. This was responsible for increased wear-resistance of the modified Nomex fabric composites made of them. The applied load and the environmental temperature affected the tribological properties of the composites.