Synergetic Effect of Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂)@Basalt Fiber (BF) on Enhancing the Anti-Wear Performance of Polyphenylene Oxide Composite

The surface modification of fibers plays a crucial role in enhancing the tribological properties of polymer composites. In this study, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂)@basalt fiber (BF) was fabricated to evaluate the synergetic effect of MoS₂@BF on the mechanical and tribological properties of polyphenylene oxide (PPO) composite. Compared to pure PPO, the bare BF can improve the mechanical property of polymer resin comparatively. By contrast, MoS₂@BF can elevate the mechanical property profoundly, due to the interlocking effect of MoS₂ on BF. The flexural strength and hardness of MoS₂@BF/PPO were elevated by 46.7% and 22.4%, respectively, compared to PPO. And the wear rate of MoS₂@BF/PPO was decreased by at least 79%, compared with pure PPO. Worn surface analysis reveals that the modification of BF surfaces with MoS₂ fortifies the interface strength between BF and PPO, which can make stress effectively transmitted onto the BF rather than interface failure caused by stress concentration. Additionally, MoS₂ detached from the fiber surface also can lubricate the system which refined the tribological behaviors. Analysis on cross-section of steel disk worn surface uncovers that the thickness of transfer film is approximately 31.5 nm, consisting of PPO, BF, MoS₂, and iron oxide on the sliding surface, which is responsible for the excellent tribological performance.