Investigation on Tribological and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Ti3C2 Nanosheets/Epoxy Nanocomposites.

In this study, two-dimensional Ti3C2 nanosheets were employed to improve the tribological and thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy resin. The Ti3C2 nanosheets were prepared by ultrasound-assisted delamination of multilayered Ti3C2 microparticles, and the Ti3C2 nanosheets/epoxy (Ti3C2/epoxy) nanocomposites were fabricated through physical blending and curing reaction. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the Ti3C2 nanosheets were dispersed uniformly in the epoxy matrix. Tribological test results showed that the wear rate of Ti3C2/epoxy nanocomposites was only 6.61 × 10-14 m3/(N m) at a 1% mass fraction, which was reduced by 72.1% compared to that of neat epoxy. The morphologies of worn surfaces revealed that the wear form of Ti3C2/epoxy nanocomposites transformed gradually from fatigue wear to adhesive wear with the increase of mass fraction of Ti3C2 nanosheets. Moreover, the results of thermo-mechanical properties indicated that incorporation of Ti3C2 nanosheets effectively improved the storage modulus and glass-transition temperature (T g) of epoxy resin. This work provides guidance for improving the tribological and thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy resin.