Abstract
The e-commerce industry has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years, accelerated by the global pandemic and changing consumer behaviors. This demand has placed great strain on traditional conveyor chute materials, causing high friction and wear, leading to high maintenance costs and reduced operational efficiency. In this research, Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) + Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) + MAX phases (Ti3SiC2) nanocomposite materials were tested for conveyor chute applications. The composite was fabricated by mixing the powder in a specific weight ratio, pressing them in a die, and finally sintering the pressed disc at 300°C. Tribological tests were performed in linear reciprocating motion using a Cr-Steel counterface. The nanocomposite materials show a COF of 0.06, lower than the PEEK and PTFE materials. More importantly, when tested under the same condition, the PTFE+PEEK+MAX phases composite showed a one-degree lower wear rate than the PEEK and PTFE materials. The microscope image shows that the physical presence of MAX phases helps the composites to attain better compaction, higher hardness, and better load-carrying capacity. The materials’ better compression and enhanced hardness help improve the composite’s tribological properties. Moreover, the better compaction of the PTFE+PEEK+MAX composite increases the water contact angle of these materials compared to the PTFE and PEEK materials. This novel composite can be an excellent replacement for the current materials used for conveyor chute applications.
