Abstract: | Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) powder was irradiated with 60Co γ-rays to improve its dispersing ability in polyurethane (PU) as a binder. The bonded solid lubricant films of the irradiated PTFE were prepared on an AISI 1045 steel block by spraying and curing at ambient temperature, with PU as the binder. The tribological properties of bonded solid lubricant films with the PTFE pigment volume fraction were examined on a ring-on-block friction and wear tester. The interfacial adhesion between the PU binder and PTFE powder was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), immersion heat, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that γ-ray irradiation increases the activity of the PTFE powder surface and improves the interfacial adhesion between the PTFE powder and the PU binder, which is helpful for improving the wear resistance of the corresponding bonded solid lubricant films. |