Tribological behaviour of clay – thermoset polyester nanocomposites

Clay – thermoset polyester nanocomposites and conventional clay filled composites are produced using organo-modified clay as the reinforcement and unmodified inorganic clay as filler, respectively. Composites are prepared with clay contents of 1 wt.%, 3 wt.% and 5 wt.%. Tribological property of the nanocomposite system is studied to assess the influence of nanoclay and compared with conventional clay filled composites. The wear test is carried out on a pin-on-disc tribometer with the composite pin sliding over a disc made of tool steel. The coefficient of friction and wear loss decreases significantly on addition of organoclay, whereas for conventional clay filled composites wear loss and coefficient of friction increases with increase in inorganic clay content. The nanocomposites exhibit a maximum of 85% improvement in wear resistance and 35% decrease in coefficient of friction. The highest wear resistant and least coefficient of friction is observed in the nanocomposite with a clay content of 3 wt.%.