Impregnation approach for poly(vinylidene fluoride)/tin oxide nanotube composites with high tribological performance

摘要

We report a composite material with the high tribological performance,which consists of onedimensional SnO2 nanotubes(ST)and a high molecular weight poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)matrix in terms of nano-impregnation.Dissolution of PVDF in N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF)resulted in a facile penetration of PVDF into the inner hollow voids of ST,leading to the close contact.Interaction between PVDF and ST results in a beneficial effect on the chain arrangement of PVDF,providing anα-phase with better tribological property.Upon ST incorporation,the friction coefficient decreased by 85.0%to 0.408,and the specific wear rate decreased by 69.1%to 0.412,demonstrating the pivotal role of ST as a self-lubricating material due to a large interactive area and PVDF chain rearrangement.