Tribology of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites: Effect of Fiber Length, Fiber Orientation, and Fiber Size

This chapter presents a brief account of the current state-of-the-art in the area of the tribology of fiber reinforced polymer composites. The important factors which determine the friction and wear properties of fibers from the surface modification are mentioned here. Tribological trends for fiber reinforced polymer composites, both traditional and nanocomposites, are presented using data currently available in the literature. Variation in fiber length, fiber orientation, type of treatments and physical characteristics are significantly influence the tribological properties. Finally, based on our current understanding of this field, we have speculated upon some future trends and directions in the area of polymer tribology.