Wear performance and mechanisms

Matrix polymer Nano-filler Surface treatment Lowest wear rate (10 mm /Nm) Filler loading corresponding to the lowest wear rate Lowest frictional coefficient Filler loading corresponding to the lowest frictional coefficient Ref. 

With respect to the influence of filler content, it can be eoncluded that there is often an optimum filler loading corresponding to the lowest wear rate of the nanocomposites. Such a U-shaped dependence of wear rate on nano-filler concentration has been found in many reports, like the systematic investigations on PEEK composites filled with a series of inorganic nanoparticles. Nevertheless, the filler content dependence of frictional coefficient usually does not follow this rule. The frictional coefficient often decreases (or increases) slightly with increasing filler content and at times even varies irregularly with filler content. 

8 Frictional coefficient fi, versus area under the a-transition peak in tan 6-temperature curve (reprinted from Near, vol. 254, G. Shi etal. Friction and wear of low nanometer SisN4 filled epoxy composites, p. 784, 2003, with permission from Elsevier). 

Schwartz and Bahadur measured the bond strength between the transfer film and the counterface, and correlated it to the wear rate of nano-Al203/PPS 

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Asano T, Akagi M, Qarke IC, Masuda S, Ishii T, Nakamura T. Dose effects of cross-linking polyethylene for total knee arthroplasty on wear performance and mechanical properties. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 2007 November 83(2) 615-22. 

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