Effects of atomic oxygen irradiation on structural and tribological properties of polyimide/Al2O3 composites

To understand the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) irradiation on the structural and tribological behaviors of polymer composites, polyimide/Al2O3 composites were irradiated with AO in a ground‐based simulation facility. The structural changes were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Surface and interface analysis 2012-03, Vol.44 (3), p.372-376
Main Authors: Liu, Baixing, Pei, Xianqiang, Wang, Qihua, Sun, Xiaojun, Wang, Tingmei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AO irradiation
Atom and molecule irradiation effects
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
degradation
Exact sciences and technology
friction
Materials science
Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter
Mechanical properties of solids
Other materials
oxidation
Physical radiation effects, radiation damage
Physics
polymer composite
Reinforced polymers and polymer-based composites
Specific materials
Structure of solids and liquids
crystallography
Tribology and hardness
wear
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Summary:To understand the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) irradiation on the structural and tribological behaviors of polymer composites, polyimide/Al2O3 composites were irradiated with AO in a ground‐based simulation facility. The structural changes were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total‐reflection FTIR, whereas the tribological changes were evaluated by friction and wear tests as well as scanning electron microscopy analysis of the worn surfaces. It was found that AO irradiation induced the oxidation and degradation of polyimide molecular chains, which increased the O concentration and decreased the C concentration in the composite surfaces. The destruction action of AO changed the surface chemical structure and morphology of the samples. Friction and wear tests indicated that AO irradiation decreased the friction coefficient but increased the wear rate of both pure and Al2O3 filled polyimides. In terms of the tribological properties, appropriate content of Al2O3 might be favorable for the improvement of tribological properties in AO environment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0142-2421
1096-9918
DOI:10.1002/sia.3814