Analyzing the tribological and thermal performance of polytetrafluoroethylene/recycled tire rubber composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering
Abstract
Recycling and advanced recycling technologies for many end-of-life tires (ELT) are vital for advancing circular economy strategies. With approximately 1.5 billion end-of-life tires generated worldwide each year, developing new ELT recycling methods suitable for large-scale industrial use is essential. In this study, we examine composite materials made by blending a solid-lubricant filler, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), with at least 70% recycled waste tire material. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was employed to ensure proper densification of the composites. The waste tire powder, produced by the water jet process (WJP), was chemically treated before mixing with PTFE. A series of composite samples was sintered with varying PTFE content, ranging from 5% to 30% by weight. Several characterization techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, were used to analyze the properties of pure PTFE and WJP ground tire rubber (GTR) powders. Subsequently, the sintered PTFE/WJP-GTR samples were assessed for thermal stability and tribological performance. The effects of PTFE content and chemical treatment on WJP-GTR powder were examined, and potential mechanisms involved are discussed according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra, profilometry measurements, and optical microscopy images. Overall, the results demonstrate significant improvements in thermal stability and a notable reduction of the coefficient of friction compared with pristine WJP-GTR. These findings are valuable for rubber products used in industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment that require efficient and dependable tribo-polymer systems.
Related
- The Role of Carbon Fibers in FFF 3D Printed Composites: A Comprehensive Review on the Effect on Mechanical Properties, Fracture Toughness, and Tribological Performance
- Effect of Heat treatment parameters on the tribological performance of LM26/graphite/fly ash hybrid aluminium matrix composites using Taguchi-TOPSIS optimization
- Effect of Counter-Surface Texturing on the Tribological Behavior of Virgin and Glass-Filled Polytetrafluoroethylene During Sliding Against Grey Cast Iron
- Effect of Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) Content on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)-Printed PETG Composites
- Tribological Reliability of Polymer Composites for Skin-Interfaced Bioelectronics: Wear-to-Failure Pathways and Testing Framework
BibTeX
@article{boulman2026analyzing,
title = {{Analyzing the tribological and thermal performance of polytetrafluoroethylene/recycled tire rubber composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering}},
author = {H. Boulman and F. Giovannelli and I.El Aboudi and M. Zaghrioui and T. Chartier and C. Richard and A. Benayad and A. Mdarhri and C. Brosseau},
journal = {Composites Part C: Open Access},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100780},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05734144v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Analyzing the tribological and thermal performance of polytetrafluoroethylene/recycled tire rubber composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering
AU - H. Boulman
AU - F. Giovannelli
AU - I.El Aboudi
AU - M. Zaghrioui
AU - T. Chartier
AU - C. Richard
AU - A. Benayad
AU - A. Mdarhri
AU - C. Brosseau
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/15
JO - Composites Part C: Open Access
DO - 10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100780
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05734144v1
AB - Recycling and advanced recycling technologies for many end-of-life tires (ELT) are vital for advancing circular economy strategies. With approximately 1.5 billion end-of-life tires generated worldwide each year, developing new ELT recycling methods suitable for large-scale industrial use is essential. In this study, we examine composite materials made by blending a solid-lubricant filler, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), with at least 70% recycled waste tire material. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was employed to ensure proper densification of the composites. The waste tire powder, produced by the water jet process (WJP), was chemically treated before mixing with PTFE. A series of composite samples was sintered with varying PTFE content, ranging from 5% to 30% by weight. Several characterization techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, were used to analyze the properties of pure PTFE and WJP ground tire rubber (GTR) powders. Subsequently, the sintered PTFE/WJP-GTR samples were assessed for thermal stability and tribological performance. The effects of PTFE content and chemical treatment on WJP-GTR powder were examined, and potential mechanisms involved are discussed according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra, profilometry measurements, and optical microscopy images. Overall, the results demonstrate significant improvements in thermal stability and a notable reduction of the coefficient of friction compared with pristine WJP-GTR. These findings are valuable for rubber products used in industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment that require efficient and dependable tribo-polymer systems.
SN - 2666-6820
ER -