High mechanical and tribological performance polyimide nanocomposites using amine-functionalized graphene nanosheets

The novel polyimide (PI) nanocomposites that possess outstanding strength and high tribological performance were fabricated using different contents of amine-functionalized graphene nanosheets (AGNS) via in-situ polymerization. The AGNS was successfully prepared by condensation reaction and nitroreduction. Compared with properties of pure PI or PI/graphene nanosheets (GNS) blends, PI/AGNS nanocomposites exhibit distinguished improvement on thermal stability, mechanical properties and tribological performance due to the strong covalent bonds between AGNS and PI. Especially, PI/AGNS-0.5wt% nanocomposites revealed the extraordinary tribological properties as friction coefficient and wear rate decreased by 41.9% and 76.2% under dry sliding condition, respectively. The resultant PI/AGNS nanocomposites owned the combined excellent tribological and mechanical properties, demonstrating their potential applications in wear-resistant materials and other high-performance areas. [Display omitted] •Amine-Functionalized Graphene Nanosheets (AGNS) was obtained by condensation reaction.•The covalent bonds between AGNS and polyimide (PI) were formed.•Adding AGNS improved the thermal and mechanical properties of PI nanocomposites.•The wear behaviors of PI films were notably enhanced by incorporating AGNS component.•PI/AGNS-0.5wt% films displayed the best tribological properties.