Tribological characteristics of graphene nanoplatelets-filled PTFE under dry sliding and sea water environmental conditions

This study focuses on enhancing the tribological performance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) through compression moulding technique. The main aim of the research was to investigate how varying weight percentages of GNP (1 wt %, 3 wt % and 5 wt %) influence the friction and wear properties of PTFE composites under both dry sliding and saline water environment. A significant reduction in the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate was observed with the addition of GNP, particularly in seawater. Specifically, the reduction of COF in sea water reached up to 58.765% with 3% of GNP compared to dry sliding. For wear reduction, a reduction of up to 90.247% was observed with 5% GNP in sea water condition. These findings reveal the potential of GNP-filled PTFE composites in applications requiring enhanced tribological properties in both dry and aqueous environments. The originality of this work lies in the comprehensive analysis of the environmental influence on GNP-filled PTFE composites, providing understandings of their applicability in marine environments.