Toshimi Takajo

Lubricant-Supplying Properties and Durability of Oil-Impregnated Polymers

Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/STLE Tribology Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 26–28, 1998

Preparation and Characterization of Oil-Dosed Phases Created by Supercritical Fluid on Polymer Materials

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyamide 66 (PA66) were used as model polymers in order to conduct research on the preparation and characterization of oil-dosed phases created by supercritical fluid on polymer materials. Dioctyl adipate (DOA, Mw = 370) and alkyldiphenylether (ADE, Mw = 440) were the lubrication oils used to impregnate the polymer. Oil impregnation conditions were controlled to between 40 and 150°C and 10 and 20 MPa in a supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) environment. Experimental results showed that the total amount of oil impregnation correlated with processing temperature and duration. After impregnation, phases with a crystal structure different from the inside were observed on the polymer surface areas. The depth profile and chemical distribution of oil-dosed phases by scCO2 impregnation were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy results have shown that it is possible to create phases having high concentrations of lubrication oil at a depth of about 25–30 μm from the surface of polymer materials.