Characterization of the mechanical and tribological properties of TiO2/polyimide nanocomposites produced using spark plasma sintering method.

In the current study, the enhancement of the mechanical and tribological behavior of polyimide (PI) composites with varying TiO₂ nanoparticles fabricated with spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique was examined. The morphology, mechanical, and tribology of the produced nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), nanoindenter, and tribometer analyzer. The SEM result shows that the TiO₂ were diffused uniformly in the polymer matrix. The hardness and modulus of the PI increased with the incorporation of the TiO₂ nanoparticles by 314.1% and 76.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the nanocomposites was remarkably improved with the TiO₂ incorporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]