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Friction 2023, 11(9): 1690-1707 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-022-0686-6
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 10 March 2023

Superlubricity by polyimide-induced alignment

Show Author's Information Xinlei GAO1( ),  Hao CHEN2,  Hong YAN3,  Chengrui HUANG2,  Li WU4,  Tingting WANG2
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Keywords:
superlubricity, polyimide, alignment, liquid crystal
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GAO X, CHEN H, YAN H, et al. Superlubricity by polyimide-induced alignment. Friction, 2023, 11(9): 1690-1707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-022-0686-6
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Abstract Full text About this article

We have investigated the lubrication alignment behavior of point–plane contact and plane–plane contact between the GCr15 steel and polyimide (PI) friction pair using nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant. In this system, rubbing orients the macromolecular PI molecules, and the oriented PI molecules induce alignment of the LC molecules in contact with or close to the oriented PI molecules. The LC molecules are aligned in the wear scar grooves of the PI film, and alignment extends to the GCr15-steel counterpart. Alignment of the LC molecules is correlated with the strong interaction force between the PI and LC molecules, the stable coordination structure of the LCs and GCr15 steel, and the weak interaction between the LC molecules. We performed simulations of the pretilt angle of PI and LCs and discussed the relationship between the pretilt angle and the friction properties. Owing to the small pretilt angle between PI and the LCs, the LC molecules orient almost parallel to the PI material, which is beneficial for superlubricity of this type of friction system.


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About this article

Superlubricity by polyimide-induced alignment

Show Author's information Xinlei GAO1( ), Hao CHEN2, Hong YAN3, Chengrui HUANG2, Li WU4, Tingting WANG2
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Abstract

We have investigated the lubrication alignment behavior of point–plane contact and plane–plane contact between the GCr15 steel and polyimide (PI) friction pair using nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant. In this system, rubbing orients the macromolecular PI molecules, and the oriented PI molecules induce alignment of the LC molecules in contact with or close to the oriented PI molecules. The LC molecules are aligned in the wear scar grooves of the PI film, and alignment extends to the GCr15-steel counterpart. Alignment of the LC molecules is correlated with the strong interaction force between the PI and LC molecules, the stable coordination structure of the LCs and GCr15 steel, and the weak interaction between the LC molecules. We performed simulations of the pretilt angle of PI and LCs and discussed the relationship between the pretilt angle and the friction properties. Owing to the small pretilt angle between PI and the LCs, the LC molecules orient almost parallel to the PI material, which is beneficial for superlubricity of this type of friction system.

Keywords: superlubricity, polyimide, alignment, liquid crystal

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 11 April 2022
Revised: 10 June 2022
Accepted: 22 August 2022
Published: 10 March 2023
Issue date: September 2023

Copyright

© The author(s) 2022.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Prof. Xiaolong Wang from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for providing critical PI (4,4’-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA)–4,4’-oxybisbenzenamine (ODA)) materials. The authors also thank Ms. Yuli Yao for drawing fish swarm image for this manuscript.

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