A nonaqueous sol-gel route is introduced to prepare polyamide-imide bonded MoS₂/SiO_x dry film lubricant. The sol-gel process was started from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and KH-560 hydrolyzing in N,N-dimethylacetamide. After the solution mixing with polyamide-imide and MoS₂, the paint of the dry film lubricant was sprayed onto the 9Cr18 substrate, followed by heating at 200℃for 1h.
  The dry film lubricant was obtained by the curing of polyamide-imide and polycondensation of the sol-gel. The chemical composition of the dry film lubricants were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The distributing of silica element was studied by energy dispersive spectrometer. The thermal properties of lubricants were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. A vacuum ball-on-disk friction and wear tester was used to evaluate the tribological behavior. The worn pattern were characterized by scanning electron microscope.
  Results show that some of the epoxy group in the silica gel have reacted with the binder. The silica element in the film showed uniform distribution. The SiO_x influenced the structure and the properties of the film lubricant. The thermal stability and the glass transition temperature of the films increased with increasing SiO_x content. The friction coefficient decreased as the SiO_x content increasing. The wear resistance property was enhanced when an amount of 4% SiO_x was introduced into the film.
 

polyamide-imide; bonded dry film lubricant; sol-gel; tribological property; thermal properties