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.
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 tribological behaviour of MoS2/ta-C double layer coatings deposited by Laser-Arc technology was investigated in vacuum and air. In vacuum environment, the friction coefficient against steel balls varies between 0.005 and 0.02 depending on the contact pressure. At high contact pressures, the friction coefficient is as low as 0.005 and the life time between 340,000 and 500,000 cycles. Furthermore, it is shown that a ta-C base layer improves the performance of MoS2 coating.
Surface analyses were performed before and after the tribological tests by means of SEM, EDX, XRD, and TEM. They show that in the top layer beneath the sliding surface crystallization of the initially quasi-amorphous MoS2 took place. TEM images also verified an orientation of the basal MoS2-lattice planes parallel to the surface.
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.