Tribological behavior of cellulose nanostructured films

Abstract

This work aimed to study the tribological behavior of films composed of mixtures of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) at different concentrations. A microabrasive wear resistance analysis is presented as part of the tribological properties. Tribological behavior was observed against wear and tear in dry conditions. Mean surface roughness (Ra) was directly influenced by MCC concentrations in films, reaching values up to three times higher at concentrations of 30% MCC compared to films without MCC. The specific wear rate (k) of the films was inversely proportional to the MCC concentrations, observing that for low concentrations of MCC (5%), the reduction of wear was only 7% for films without MCC. Concentrations of 10% MCC the wear rate was reduced by 52%, and when passing to concentrations of 30% MCC, the reduction of wear was even more abrupt up to 95%. The specific wear rate obtained was favorable and comparable to films of synectic origin, which shows that NFC/MCC composites may offer tribological advantages such as reinforcement coatings on different materials.