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Characterization of Thermal, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Fluoropolymer Composite Coatings

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Abstract

Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) is a potential polymer coating material for low-temperature waste heat recovery in heat exchangers. Nonetheless, poor thermal conductivity, low strength and susceptibility to surface degradation by erosion/wear pose restrictions in its application. In this study, four types of fillers, namely graphite, silicon carbide, alumina and boron nitride, were introduced to enhance the thermal, mechanical and tribological properties in PFA coatings. The thermal diffusivity and specific heat capacity of the composites (reinforced with 20 wt.% filler) were also measured using laser flash and differential scanning calorimetry techniques, respectively. The results indicated that the addition of graphite or boron nitride increased the thermal conductivity of PFA by at least 2.8 orders of magnitude, while the composites with the same weight fraction of alumina or silicon carbide showed 20-80% rise in thermal conductivity. The micromechanical deformation and tribological behavior of composite coatings, electrostatically sprayed on steel substrates, were investigated by means of instrumented indentation and scratch tests. The deformation response and friction characteristics were investigated, and the failure mechanisms were identified. Surface hardness, roughness and structure of fillers influenced the sliding performance of the composite coatings. PFA coatings filled with Al2O3 or SiC particles showed high load-bearing capacity under sliding conditions. Conversely, BN- and graphite-filled PFA coatings exhibited lower interfacial adhesion to steel substrate and were prone to failure at relatively lower applied loads.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by Natural Resources Canada through the Program of Energy Research and Development (ecoEII EEIN 010B). Daikin America Inc. is gratefully acknowledged for providing the PFA coating powders. Mr. Dan Walsh and Mr. Tyler Smith at CanmetMATERIALS, Natural Resources of Canada, are acknowledged for preparing the coating samples and measuring the thermal properties, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CanmetMATERIALS, Natural Resources Canada, 183 Longwood Road South, Hamilton, ON, L8P 0A5, Canada

    Y. He

  2. Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada

    K. Farokhzadeh & A. Edrisy

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  1. Y. He
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Correspondence to A. Edrisy.

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He, Y., Farokhzadeh, K. & Edrisy, A. Characterization of Thermal, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Fluoropolymer Composite Coatings. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 2520–2534 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2690-y

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