Improving the specific wear rate and coefficient of friction of polyamide 6 polymer and its composite by adding wax under self‐operation conditions

Abstract

Polyamide polymers are widely used in tribological areas in a wide range of industries. The purpose of this study is to extend the tribological life of this material. For this purpose, composite materials were produced by adding solid lubricants such as graphite and wax to the polyamide 6 (PA6) matrix at different rates, and the synergistic effect of these composites on tribological behavior was investigated. Tribological experiments were carried out under dry sliding conditions and on themselves. The polyamide 6/graphite/wax composites were first produced in the form of granules in a twin‐screw extruder, and then test samples were molded using the injection molding technique. Wear tests were performed using a pin‐on‐disc wear device. Tribological tests were carried out at a sliding speed of 0.5 m s−1 and under loads ranging from 10 N to 250 N. Following the experiments, the friction coefficient, specific wear rate, and surface wear were determined under the condition of the materials working on each other. The results showed that the lowest specific wear rate and friction coefficient were obtained for the polyamide 6 composites containing 6 % wax and 15 % glass fiber working on each other.