Friction and wear behavior of short carbon fibers milled polyphenylene sulfide composites

Metal -based materials can be substituted with composites in various applications due to their favourable strengthto -weight ratio and ease of fabrication. This study aimed to investigate the impact of short carbon fibers as reinforcement in a polyphenylene sulfide matrix on the mechanical and tribological properties of the resulting composites, with the goal of obtaining data relevant to brake -pad applications. The composites were prepared through extrusion followed by injection molding. The tribological properties of the composites were evaluated using an SRV tribometer under dry sliding and oscillating conditions. The effects of load and frequency on the friction and wear behaviour of the composites were analyzed and compared to a reference polyphenylene sulfide material. Polyphenylene sulfide with uniform short carbon fibers exhibited superior mechanical properties and demonstrated better friction and wear resistance, while polyphenylene sulfide with random short carbon fibers showed properties recommended for brake -pad material. The post-test wear scar was analyzed for surface roughness, and the surface morphology of the wear scar on the composites was studied using a scanning electron microscope.