Effect of cellulosic fibres on the interfacial friction between ceramic and glass

The effect of Micro-Fibrillated Cellulose (MFC) on the interfacial friction between ceramic and glass was investigated as a function of the applied load, surface roughness, sliding distance, sliding velocity, and liquid present. With a normal load of 4 N, high friction was observed whilst maintaining a low wear. Increasing the roughness (R_a) of the ceramic substrate from 0.99 to 3.01 µm could result in a slight increase in the Coefficient of Friction (CoF) from 0.36 to 0.46, but a remarkable increase in wear (depth of the wear track) from 0.27 to 1.31 µm. Friction and wear thresholds were identified after a sliding distance of 400 mm, whilst an increased sliding velocity could reduce both friction and wear. This study also investigated MFC with Xanthan Gum (XG), both with similar rheological behaviour, confirming that the physical presence of fibres in the formulation was responsible for the improved interfacial lubrication.