Aim of the investigation is to characterize selected PEEK-composites in vacuum environment. Oscillating sliding friction was investigated with a pin-on-disc configuration in high vacuum (10-5 mbar) at room temperature, -40 °C, +100 °C and +160 °C. The contact pressure was 1 MPa and 7 MPa respectively , the maximum sliding velocity 0.1 m/s. Furthermore, tests in ultra high vacuum (10-9 mbar) were carried out with flat and spherical pins at 1 MPa and 60 MPa respectively. Among the tested materials MoS2 filled PEEK shows the best tribological performance in vacuum. Particularly, in the lower temperature range and at higher loads the friction behaviour is improved by MoS2 content.
The sliding performance of PEEK composites was investigated in vacuum environment. Tests were performed with carbon fibre reinforced PEEK composites filled with PTFE, and MoS2 or graphite as further solid lubricant. Polymer samples were tested in a pin-on-disc configuration continuously sliding against CrNi-steel. Depending on sliding speed and temperature, the MoS2 filled composites showed high wear resistance and friction coefficients as low as PVD coatings.
High performance polymer composites have been intensively investigated for tribological applications in air, but rarely in hydrogen environment. Author's previous benchmark of composites in liquid hydrogen (LH2) showed that graphite filled polymers have beneficial friction behaviour in this extreme condition. Therefore, further investigations have been undertaken in hydrogen environment. This paper presents first results obtained with polyimide composites filled with different types (natural, synthetic) and amounts of graphite in air, vacuum and hydrogen environments. A particular attention is taken to the influence of hydrogen on graphite as well as on the polymer matrix.
The influence of hydrogen environment on the friction and wear behavior of polyimide (PI) composites was investigated for two different PI-types (PI1 and PI2) filled with natural or synthetic graphite. Sliding tests were run against AISI 52100 steel and the worn surfaces as well as the transfer film were analyzed by means of SEM, EDX and Infrared Spectroscopy. Results indicate that the chemical structure of the polyimide has a major influence on the tribological behavior. While the friction of PI2 remains rather stable in all environments, PI1 showed very low friction in hydrogen without any lubricant. The lubricity of graphite was found to be more effective in hydrogen than in moist air.
Die tribologischen Eigenschaften von graphitgefüllten Polyimiden gegen Stahl 100Cr6 wurden an Luft, im Hochvakuum (l0⁻ ³ Pa) und in Wasserstoffumgebung bei verschiedenen Drücken (10³ Pa, 10⁴ Pa und 10⁵ Pa) untersucht. Zwei unterschiedliche Polyimid-Typen wurden eingesetzt, wobei Typ und Menge des Graphits variiert wurden.
Die Experimente wurden bei 3,1 MPa Kontaktdruck und einer Gleitgeschwindigkeit von 0,2 m/s bzw. 1 m/s durchgeführt. Die verschlissenen Oberflächen und die Morphologie des Materialübertrags auf die Stahl-Gegenfläche wurden mittels Lichtmikroskopie, REM, TEM und FTIR untersucht. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass sowohl die Matrix als auch der Graphitanteil einen deutlichen Einfluss auf das Reibverhalten von Verbundwerkstoffen in Wasserstoffumgehungen haben können.
Br bonding on plasma brominated graphite surfaces has been studied by using Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Br2 and bromoform were used as plasma gases in an r.f. cw low pressure plasma process. Kr plasma had been used to study separately the physical and chemical plasma etching effects. At early steps of plasma bromination which lead to only small XPS Br surface concentration values a quick decay of aromaticity has been observed. At low Br surface concentration radical or even electrophilic addition of bromine onto sp2 carbon atoms is discussed as the dominating reaction pathway. At higher Br surface concentrations the inherent formation of sp3 defects in the graphene network by chemical etching processes promotes nucleophilic substitution of bromine at sp3 carbons as a competing reaction pathway. Both reaction pathways lead to CBr species characterized by the same Br 3d XPS binding energy. However more than one Br 3d component in XP spectra has been found at lower Br2 plasma induced Br surface concentrations and complexation of bromine at HOPG is assumed as a third way of interaction with Br2 plasma.
A gray cast iron disc, which had been submitted to a heavy duty automotive brake test, was examined with energy filtered transmission electron microscopy. A graphite flake in a convenient angular position showed the shear interaction of graphite layers with the iron matrix in nano-scale resolution. Atomic layers of graphite were wedged into the ferritic bulk, allowing the entrance of oxygen and the subsequent formation of magnetite. The exfoliated few-layer graphene batches deformed heavily when forced into the matrix. When Raman spectra from the disc surface, which show distinctive carbonaceous bands, were compared with Raman spectra from graphite subjected to deformation in a shaker mill with different milling times, it could be seen that the shear stress on the brake surface was much more effective to induce disorder than the milling, where compressive and impact forces had been additionally exerted on the sample. During shear load the high anisotropy of elastic modulus in the graphite crystalline structure and the low adhesion between graphite basal planes allowed the exfoliation of wrinkled few-layer grapheme batches, causing the formation of more defect related Raman bands than the mechanical stress during high-energy milling.
A cross-section sample of the friction film formed on top of a disc during a brake testing procedure against Polymer Matrix Composite pads was made using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). The FIB-cut sampled the "third body" magnetite layer and the upper part of the cast iron disc containing a graphite flake. Images of the sample examined in a Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscope captured an instant view of the important role of the graphite flakes in magnetite formation, where few layer graphene batches interacted with the iron border promoting cracking and oxidation along the graphite–iron interface. The resulting nano-scale interlayer of magnetite and strongly disordered graphite formed a third body which yielded adequate brake performance.