Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures

Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures

Climatic Testing of Polytetrafluoroethylene Based Composites

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
1 Department of Chemistry, Institute of Natural Sciences, North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, 677000, Russia
2 Merzhanov Institute of Structural Macrokinetics and Materials Science Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of accelerated climatic cycling (–50 °C to +100 °C, 10 cycles) on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites filled with carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes (CNT), kaolinite (K), silicon dioxide SiO2, titanium carbide (TiC), and titanium diboride (TiB2). Mechanical tests revealed that unfilled PTFE lost ~20% of its tensile strength after testing, while composites with micrometer-sized fillers (CF, TiC, TiB2) degraded by ~30%. In contrast, the PTFE+CNT+K composite retained its tensile strength and modulus of elasticity without significant change, demonstrating superior stability. Structural analysis showed that nanofillers (CNT, K, SiO2) promote the formation of dense spherulite-like structures, which reduce the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) by up to 45% compared to neat PTFE. Sealing performance tests at –40 °C confirmed that PTFE+CNT+K and PTFE+SiO2 composites maintained effective sealing, whereas neat PTFE and PTFE+K composites exhibited significant leakage. The results highlight the PTFE+CNT+K composite as the most promising material for sealing applications in arctic conditions due to its balanced mechanical integrity, low CLTE, and reliable performance under extreme thermal cycling.
Keywords
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