Improvement of PVC wearability by addition of additives

The wear of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) filled with a variety of inorganic and organic additives in different proportions and combinations have been investigated. Wear of pure PVC was tested for comparison. Grade 600 silicon carbide abrasive paper was used as abrading counterface. Results showed that the additives (fillers) have different effects on the wear resistance of PVC composites according to the properties of the additives and the amount added. SiC and Al2O3 as filler improved the wear resistance of PVC significantly. Si and wollastonite also enhanced the wear resistance. Fly ash and B4C reduced wear of PVC only when over 10% of fly ash or 7% of B4C was added. Surprisingly, PVC filled with CaCO3 or SiO2, the most commonly used fillers in industrial PVC materials, gave rise to a very low wear resistance. Based on experimental observations, characteristics of wear of PVC composites can be classified into four categories: (a) worn material in the form of fragmented thin and coherent transfer film; (b) fairly thick transfer film loosely bonded on to the sliding track; (c) poorly adhering debris and particles left around the sliding track; (d) little worn material was observed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.