| Abstract: | Due to their thermal stability and high strength, polyimides are an aromatic type of polymer that is used in sliding equipment functioning under high loads and elevated temperature. However, its tribological behaviour under high temperature and atmospheric conditions is not fully understood. It has been reported that a transition from high towards lower friction occurs ‘somewhere’ in the temperature region between 100°C and 200°C; however, a correlation with changes in the polyimide molecular structure remains difficult to illustrate and it is not certain whether or not this transition is correlated to lower wear. In the present work sliding experiments under controlled bulk temperatures between 100°C and 260°C are performed. A transition is observed in both friction and wear at 180°C which is further explained by microscopic analysis of the transfer film on the steel counterface and Raman spectroscopy of the worn polymer surfaces. A close examination of the spectra reveals transitions in relative intensity of certain absorption bands, pointing to different orientation effects of the molecular conformation at the polymer sliding surface at 180°C. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
