Research On Wear Resistance Of CNTs/PMMA Composites

Owing to their unique and superior physical and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hold a great promise of extensive applications in various fields. Among others, CNTs have been thought as a very promising candidate as the ideal reinforcing fibers for advanced composites with high strength and low density. In this paper, the in-situ polymerization method was adopted in preparation of serial PMMA samples with nano-materials such as CNTs, the nano-materials can disperse sufficiently in MMA solution by ultrasonic-mechanical method and wear resistance of the composites were investigated.The analysis methods such as FTIR, Zeta potential, SEM, and OM techniques were used for estimating CNTs and its composites. According to GB/T6739-1996, the hardness test named weights method was used to evaluate the wear-insistance of composites. The results show that -OH and -COOH groups were attached to the acid mixture-treated aligned CNTs; the acid mixture-treated aligned CNTs had higher |ζ| potential; the CNTs was shorter, and bundle-like structure of the aligned CNTs was destroyed after the acid treatment, and the acid mixture- treated aligned CNTs could disperse in the PMMA matrix well in single nanotubes; when the CNTs content reached to specific value, the organic parts and inorganic parts had best compatibility in the matrix; when the CNTs content is higher, the inorganic parts could be gathered; with addition of the nano-materials, the hardness of PMMA composite was enhanced.The results of wear-resistance test by weights method shows that the addition of CNTs can enhance the wear-resistance and the scratch-resistance of PMMA composite;①when the content of aligned MWNTs 1020 was 0.7% in PMMA, measured results in weights show that wear resistance of the composites was enhanced and increased by 54% at most;②when the content of S.MWNTs 1020 was 1.0% in PMMA, measured results in weights show that wear resistance of the composites was enhanced and increased by 42.9% at most;③when the content of L.MWNTs 1020 was 1.0% in PMMA, measured results in weights show that wear resistance of the composites was enhanced and increased by 61.9% at most.