Climatic Testing of Polytetrafluoroethylene Based Composites

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemistry, Institute of Natural Sciences, North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia

2 Merzhanov Institute of Structural Macrokinetics and Materials Science Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 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

Main Subjects

Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 June 2026

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