Effect of nickel phyllosilicate on the morphological structure, thermal properties and wear resistance of epoxy nanocomposites

To improve the comprehensive properties of epoxy resin (EP), the lamellar nanofiller of nickel phyllosilicate (Ni-PS) was first synthesized hydrothermally and EP/Ni-PS nanocomposites were prepared via a solution-mixing process. The effect of Ni-PS content on the morphological structure, curing behavior, thermal stability, flammability as well as the tribological property under the dry sliding conditions of the nanocomposites were investigated carefully. Various characterizations have identified that the as-synthesized Ni-PS is characterized by good crystals and excellent thermal stability. The adequate Ni-PS could disperse homogeneously in the EP matrix, depicting the positive influences on the curing behavior and thermal stability at high temperatures. The incorporation of Ni-PS also increases the limited oxygen index and presents good suppression on the fire spreading for the nanocomposites; however, all the samples fail to pass any ratings of UL-94. By contrast, such inorganic filler depicts an exciting improvement in the tribological responses, showing both decreased coefficient of friction and specific wear rate for EP nanocomposites when compared to pure EP.