Antifriction composites in active aquatic environments

The experimental results of the antifriction polymer composite coating strength in the active aquatic environments with pH index varied in the range of 1.68…12.45 are presented. The coating strength is defined by the adhesion strength of the zone ‘coating-host substrate’. The interlaminate strength at the bending angle of 180 degrees is chosen as a criterion of the adhesion strength. Adequate regression models which allow calculating the coating adhesion strength value and estimating its retained strength percentage are obtained. The study on the polymer coating creep strain contribution to the working clearance forming in the tribocoupling is resulted. The obtained results show the significant increase of the composite coating stiffness at the relatively light loads applied that is caused by the capillary condensation of the aquatic environments in the micropores, and by their further diffusion into the composite layer. All the obtained data give a good indication of the antifriction coating properties degradation in the acid and alkaline aquatic solutions, as well as of the probable the antifriction coating life-time reducing.