Friction and wear properties of basalt fiber reinforced/solid lubricants filled polyimide composites under different sliding conditions

Short basalt fibers (BFs)‐reinforced polyimide (PI) composites filled with MoS₂ and graphite were fabricated by means of hot‐press molding technique. The tribological properties of the resulting composites sliding against GCr15 steel ring were investigated on a model ring‐on‐block test rig. The wear mechanisms were also comparatively discussed, based on scanning electron microscopic examination of the worn surface of the PI composites and the transfer film formed on the counterpart. Experimental results revealed that MoS₂ and graphite as fillers significantly improved the wear resistance of the BFs‐reinforced polyimide (BFs/PI) composites. For the best combination of friction coefficient and wear rate, the optimal volume content of MoS₂ and graphite in the composites appears to be 40 and 35%, respectively. It was also found that the tribological properties of the filled BFs/PI composites were closely related with the sliding conditions such as sliding speed and applied load. Research results show that the BF/PI composites exhibited better tribological properties under higher PV product. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009