title: Effect of MMT concentration on tribological behavior of MMT/Epoxy nanocomposite.
abstract: Numerous studies have investigated the material properties of clay/polymer nanocomposites, such as their fracture toughness, elastic modulus, and hardness. However, only a few researchers have studied the tribological properties of clay/polymer nanocomposites. This study investigated the effect of the montmorillonite (MMT) concentration on the tribological behavior of MMT/epoxy nanocomposites. Wear tests were performed on MMT/epoxy nanocomposites with four different clay concentration levels to characterize the improvement in wear behavior due to the MMT concentration. In order to examine the tribological mechanism depending on the clay concentration level, SEM analysis was performed on the worn surfaces after the wear tests. The results showed that the friction coefficient of an MMT/epoxy nanocomposite with a low MMT concentration was larger than that of a nanocomposite with a high MMT concentration. It is believed that the phenomena occur due to the action of MMT as a reinforcement and lubricant material and reduce the wear rate with increasing MMT concentration.
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering, KyungHee University, Yongin 446-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Rok
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Kyong-Yop
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Hyunho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shin