Effect of surface oxidation treatment on the tribological performance of carbon fiber reinforced polyimide composites

The effect of ozone surface treatment of carbon fibers (CF) on the tensile strength and tribological properties of carbon fiber reinforced polyimide (CF/PI) composite was investigated. Experimental results revealed that the tensile strength of ozone and air oxidation treated CF reinforced PI composite was improved compared with that of untreated composite. Compared with the untreated and air‐oxidated CF/PI composite, the ozone treated composite had the lowest friction coefficient and specific wear rate under given applied load and reciprocating sliding frequency. Ozone treatment effectively improved the interfacial adhesion between CF and PI. The strong interfacial adhesion of the composite made CF not easy to detach from the PI matrix, and prevented the rubbing‐off of PI, accordingly improved the friction and wear properties of the composite.