A novel strategy for oil storage and transport in epoxy composites using biomass Juncus effusus fibers

Abstract

The effective storage and delivery of lubricating oils within polymeric materials is crucial for enhancing their tribological performances. In this study, hollow Juncus effusus (JE) fibers with a diameter of 2.14 mm were employed as efficient carriers of paraffin wax (PW) in the epoxy resin (EP) matrix. The microstructure, morphology, and mechanical properties of the resulting epoxy resin/Juncus effusus/paraffin wax (EP/JE/PW) composites were systematically characterized. Furthermore, the influence of PW content on the tribological performances of EP/JE/PW composites was studied. The results revealed that the average friction coefficient of the EP/JE/PW (1:20) was 0.19, and the wear rate was 6.06 × 10⁻5 mm3/N·m. Compared to pure EP, the composite exhibited an 80 % reduction in friction coefficient and an 88.02 % reduction in wear rate due to the solid-liquid dual lubrication mechanism. We report the use of biomass JE fibers for the effective storage and delivery of PW to enhance the tribological performances of EP for the first time. This study offers new insights into efficient oil storage and intelligent oil delivery in polymeric matrices using biomass-based JE fibers as an oil carrier and oil transport pathway.