Evaluation of tribological properties of silane‐treated rapeseed straw fiber reinforced friction polymer composites prepared by wet granulation

Abstract Reinforcing fibers play a key role in improving the tribological properties of friction polymer composites. Cellulose reinforcing fibers were extracted from rapeseed straw waste and prepared as friction composites based on wet granulation, and the effects of heat and rapeseed straw fiber (RSF) additions on the tribological properties were systematically investigated. The addition of RSF induced an important transformation of the major wear mechanism to abrasive wear, especially at 9 wt%, where the abundant tribo‐films contributed to the stability of the friction coefficients (fade rate 6.8%, recovery rate 106.6%), resulting in a 37.5% increase in wear resistance compared to no addition. Furthermore, XRD, FTIR and SEM analyses showed that the silane‐ethanol solution modification contributed to the good performance of RSF. Highlights Rapeseed straw fiber (RSF) and granulation technology for polymer composites. Addition of RSF transforms adhesive and fatigue wear into abrasive wear. Friction models are developed to clarify the wear mechanism transformation. A 37.5% increase in wear resistance was achieved when RSF was added at 9 wt%.