Investigation on tribo-characteristics of Calotropis gigantea fiber-reinforced-CNT modified polymer composites.

This study included the preparation and tribo-characterization of Calotropis gigantea (CG) fiber reinforced CNT modified phenolic resin composites. Composites were prepared with varying contents (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%) of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) in phenolic resin, which was reinforced with CG fiber. The prepared composites were tested for their adhesive wear and frictional behavior at different applied loads (up to 100 N) against EN-31 steel disk on a standard pin-on-disk tribometer. The results revealed that addition of MWCNT enhanced the pressure–velocity (PV) limit significantly and reduced the value of friction coefficient of CG-fiber-reinforced phenolic resin composite. The friction coefficient decreases with increasing applied load. The wear rate significantly depends on MWCNT contents. The contact temperature of sliding surfaces increased with increasing applied load. The worn surfaces were analyzed and discussed to understand the wear mechanism involved with the help of SEM micrographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]