Exploration of Effect of Thermal Cycling Treatment on Mechanical and Tribological Performance of Polyimide Composites

Abstract

Polyimide (PI) and PI composites reinforced with glass fiber (GF), and aramid fiber (AF) were fabricated with hot-pressing technology. Then polyimide and its composites were treated with a thermal cycling (TC) condition from –50 °C to 150 °C with 300 cycles continuously. Compared with the samples without TC treatment, the fracture morphologies, mechanics, and tribological properties of the samples were studied. The results showed that, based on the fractographic morphologies, the phenomenon of fiber stripping could be obviously observed in the PI composite materials after TC treatment. Compared with before TC treatment, the friction coefficients (FC) and wear rates (WR) of PI and PI composites showed different variations, respectively. In conclusion, TC treatment had a great influence on the morphologies of the worn surface and the composition of transfer film. As the shear force increased, the elemental analysis demonstrated that GF was extruded into the groove.

Keywords:

• Polyimide composites
• thermal cycling treatment
• tribological and mechanical properties

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Additional information

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51805140), the Central Guidance on Local Science and Technology Development Fund of Hebei Province (206Z1201G, 216Z1202G), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (no. E2021402004, E2020402009), the Three Talent Project of Hebei Province (A202001013), and the Handan Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (grant no. 19422111008-26).