Tribochemical processes in epoxyorganic textolite–steel friction pair

Abstract

The role of a phenol formaldehyde oligomer additive to the epoxy binder in friction of organic textolite is studied. It is shown that, in the course of friction, the polymer surface becomes enriched in the tribochemically stable phenolic component, while new C=O and O–C–O bonds appear that result from the oxidation of the aliphatic epoxy groups of macromolecules. During friction, the aliphatic component of the polymer specimen is predominantly involved in reactions with the counterbody; this selective wear makes the outer surface of the polymer specimen less hydrophilic. Comparative tribological and thermofrictional tests have shown that, unlike the phenol structure, the use of an epoxy-phenolic structure in the materials reinforced by polyoxadiazole fabrics is more efficient at low temperatures, while phenol formaldehyde binder exhibits better stability at high temperatures.