The Tribological and Mechanical Properties of PI/PAI/EP Polymer Coating under Oil Lubrication, Seawater Corrosion and Dry Sliding Wear

To investigate the tribological performance of a copper alloy engine bearing under oil lubrication, seawater corrosion and dry sliding wear, three different PI/PAI/EP coatings consisting of 1.5 wt% Ce(2)O(3), 2 wt% Ce(2)O(3), 2.5 wt% Ce(2)O(3) were designed, respectively. These designed coatings were prepared on the surface of CuPb22Sn2.5 copper alloy using a liquid spraying process. The tribological properties of these coatings under different working conditions were tested. The results show that the hardness of the coating decreases gradually with the addition of Ce(2)O(3), and the agglomeration of Ce(2)O(3) is the main reason for the decrease of hardness. The wear amount of the coating increases first and then decreases with the increase of Ce(2)O(3) content under dry sliding wear. The wear mechanism is abrasive wear under the condition of seawater. The wear resistance of the coating decreases with the increase of Ce(2)O(3) content. The wear resistance of the coating with 1.5 wt% Ce(2)O(3) is the best under-seawater corrosion. Although Ce(2)O(3) has corrosion resistance, the coating of 2.5 wt% Ce(2)O(3) has the worst wear resistance under seawater conditions due to severe wear caused by agglomeration. Under oil lubrication conditions, the frictional coefficient of the coating is stable. The lubricating oil film has a good lubrication and protection effect.