Tribological property of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-graphite oxide nanosheets reinforced polyethersulfone composite under drying sliding condition

Nano-sized graphite oxide (GO) sheets modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as lubrication additives were incorporated into polyethersulfone (PES) matrix aiming to improve the mechanical, thermal and tribological properties of this polymer. The incorporation of APTES-GO sheets significantly enhances the tensile and thermal properties of PES. Compared with the virgin PES, the PES composite with the APTES-GO addition of 1.0 wt% exhibits much lower friction coefficient (0.13) and wear rate (4.68×10−15 m3/Nm). This can be attributed to the homogeneous dispersion of APTES-GO within PES matrix and strong interfacial adhesion between them, as well as the formation of uniform PES transfer film.