Optimization of mechanical properties for polyoxymethylene/glass fiber/polytetrafluoroethylene composites using response surface methodology

Kunnan Singh, J. S., Ching, Y. C., Abdullah, L. C., Ching, K. Y. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1528-9332, Razali, S. and Gan, S. N. (2018) Optimization of mechanical properties for polyoxymethylene/glass fiber/polytetrafluoroethylene composites using response surface methodology. Polymers, 10 (3). 338. ISSN 2073-4360 doi: 10.3390/polym10030338

Abstract/Summary

This paper investigated the effects of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micro-particles on mechanical properties of polyoxymethylene (POM) composites. Since PTFE is immiscible with most polymers, the surface was etched using sodium naphthalene salt in tetrahydrofuran to increase its surface energy. The effects of two variables, namely PTFE content and PTFE etch time, on the mechanical properties of the composite were studied. Experiments were designed in accordance to response surface methodology (RSM) using central composite design (CCD). Samples were prepared with different compositions of PTFE (1.7, 4.0, 9.5, 15.0, or 17.3 wt %) at different PTFE etch times (2.9, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, or 17.1 min). Four mechanical properties of the POM/GF/PTFE composites, that is, strength, stiffness, toughness, and hardness, were characterized as a function of two studied variables. The dependency of these mechanical properties on the PTFE etch conditions was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Overall desirability, D global index, was computed based on the combination of these mechanical properties for POM/GF/PTFE composites. The D global index was found to be 87.5%, when PTFE content and PTFE etch time were 6.5% and 10 min, respectively. Good correlation between experimental and RSM models was obtained using normal probability plots.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/102079
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/polym10030338
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	University of Reading Malaysia
Publisher	MDPI
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