The effect of cast iron graphites on friction and wear performance: II: Variables influencing graphite film formation

Cast iron may be classed as a self-lubricating metal-base composite material. The cast iron graphites have an excellent lubricity which is similar to that of a solid lubricant and contributes to the decreases in the wear loss and the friction coefficient. Factors affecting graphite film formation are discussed. The coefficient of friction increases with substrate hardness because graphite film formation is influenced by the relative difficulty of substrate deformation. Although adhesive wear and the friction coefficient increase with decreasing air pressure, the cast iron graphites contribute to the decrease in wear rate in the region of 10^?2 Torr. Water vapour pressure has a direct effect on film formation and film hardening, particularly above 16 Torr. The lubricity of cast iron graphites was confirmed at temperatures below 100°C. The friction coefficient increases with the temperature rise owing to hardening of the graphite film. The effect of cast iron graphites on rolling wear resistance is discussed.     

Friction and wear behaviour of hard and superhard coatings at cryogenic temperatures

The work presents data on friction and wear behaviour of pin-on-disc pairs with superhard diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings and hard coatings of zirconium nitride (ZrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) in liquid nitrogen with loads of 2.5 and 10 N and sliding speed of 0.06 m/s. It is shown that at cryogenic temperatures the friction coefficients of pairs of two types of DLC coatings obtained by vacuum-arc deposition of filtered high-speed carbon plasma fluxes depend to a great deal on the mechanical properties of the coatings defined by predominant sp² or sp³ hybridization of valence electrons. A friction coefficient of 0.76 was observed for friction pairs of superhard (90 GPa) DLC coatings having properties similar to those of diamond. For “softer” DLC coatings of 40 GPa and properties similar to those of graphite the friction coefficient shows lower values (0.24–0.48) dependent on normal load and counterbody material. The DLC coatings obtained by the filtered arc technology exhibit good wear resistance and have strong adhesion to the substrate under friction in liquid nitrogen. With a normal load of 10 N under cryogenic temperature a low wear rate (of the order of 7.2×10⁻⁴ nm/cycle) was found for superhard DLC coatings. The friction coefficient of pairs with hard ZrN and superhard DLC coatings on steel discs was revealed to be linearly dependent on the counterbody material hardness between 20 and 100 GPa. The hardness of the pin was varied by means of depositing TiN or DLC coatings and also by using high-hardness compounds (boron nitride and synthetic diamond). Proceeding this way can be promising since it offers the possibility of creating low-temperature junctions of required friction properties.     

Effect of electrical current on the tribological behavior of the Cu-WS2-G composites in air and vacuum

As the traditional graphite-based composites cannot meet the requirement of rapid developing modern industry, novel sliding electrical contact materials with high self-lubricating performance in multiple environments are eagerly required. Herein a copper-based composite with WS2 and graphite as solid lubricant are fabricated by powder metallurgy hot-pressed method. The friction and wear behaviors of the composites with and without current are investigated under the condition with sliding velocity of 10 m/s and normal load of 2.5N/cm 2 in both air and vacuum. Morphologies of the worn surfaces are observed by optical microscope and compositions of the lubricating films are analyzed by XPS. Surface profile curves and roughness of the worn surfaces are obtained by 2205 surface profiler. The results of wear tests show that the friction coefficient and wear volume loss of the composites with current are greater than that without current in both air and vacuum due to the adverse effects of electrical current which damaged the lubricating film partially and roughed the worn surfaces. XPS results demonstrate that the lubricating film formed in air is composed of oxides of Cu, WS2 , elemental S and graphite, while the lubricating film formed in vacuum is composed of Cu, WS2 and graphite. Because of the synergetic lubricating action of oxides of Cu, WS2 and graphite, the composites show low friction coefficient and wear volume loss in air condition. Owing to the fact that graphite loses its lubricity which makes WS2 become the only lubricant, severe adhesive and abrasive wear occur and result in a high value of wear rate in vacuum condition. The formation of the lubricating film on the contact interface between the brush and ring is one of the factors which can greatly affect the wear performance of the brushes. The low contact voltage drop of the composites in vacuum condition is attributed to the high content of Cu in the surface film. This study fabricated a kind of new sliding electrical contact self-lubricating composite with dual-lubricant which can work well in both air and vacuum environments and provides a comprehensive analysis on the lubrication mechanisms of the composite.     

碳靶电流对磁控溅射GLC/Ti薄膜结构及摩擦学性能的影响*

为改善掺杂Ti的GLC/Ti薄膜的摩擦学性能,采用非平衡磁控溅射技术在不同C靶电流下制备了类石墨碳基薄膜。利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、拉曼光谱仪(Raman)对薄膜结构进行表征;采用纳米压痕仪测量薄膜的硬度及弹性模量;利用HSR-2M型高速往复试验机测试薄膜在干摩擦条件下的摩擦磨损性能,并用白光干涉仪观察磨痕表面形貌。结果表明:随着C靶电流的增大,薄膜的柱状生长趋势日趋明显,其致密性降低,sp~2键含量减小,石墨化程度和结合力降低,而硬度和弹性模量略增;随着C靶电流的增大,摩擦因数和磨损率均增大。因此,适当降低C靶电流可以提高磁控溅射GLC/Ti薄膜干摩擦条件下的减摩耐磨性能。     

Chemical Structure and Micro-Mechanical Properties of Ultra-Thin Films of Boron Carbide Prepared by Pulsed-Laser Deposition

Ultra-thin boron carbide films with a thickness of about 40 nm were deposited on silicon substrates by means of pulsed-laser ablation of a sintered B₄C target in vacuum. Together with the determination of the film composition by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the observation of the surface topography by atomic force microscopy (AFM), the chemical structure of the films was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Mechanical characterization of the films was performed on the micron and sub-micron scales by means of nano-indentation and micro-scratch tests, from which the hardness, Young's modulus and micro mar resistance of the films were determined. The optimal values were obtained for the films prepared at elevated temperature of 600 °C, with hardness of 39 GPa, Young's modulus of 348 GPa and micro mar resistance (MMR) of 5.0 × 10³ GPa, in comparison with those of 23, 252, and 7.1 × 10² GPa, respectively, for the films prepared at room temperature.     

磁控溅射制备高熵碳化物(AlTiVCrNb)C涂层摩擦学性能

为改善高熵合金涂层的摩擦学性能,通过石墨与AlTiVCrNb高熵合金靶共溅射制备(AlTiVCrNb)C涂层,采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)分析涂层的成分、表截面形貌和物相,采用纳米压痕仪、球盘式摩擦磨损试验机测试涂层的硬度、弹性模量和摩擦学性能,采用白光干涉三维形貌仪表征涂层的磨损情况。试验结果表明：随着涂层中碳含量增加,高熵组分从BCC/FCC双相向单一FCC结构转变,且涂层的微观组织结构也随之变化;由于碳化物的形成和固溶强化,涂层呈现良好的摩擦学性能;在涂层碳原子分数为20.83%时,涂层的摩擦性能和力学性能达到最优,此时摩擦因数最低,为0.35,涂层硬度与弹性模量最高,分别为17.84、182.72 GPa。研究表明,在磁控溅射工艺中石墨与AlTiVCrNb高熵合金共溅射,可以获得摩擦学性能良好的高熵碳化物(AlTiVCrNb)C涂层。     

Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polyimide Thin-film for High Wear Durability

In this paper, the influence of single walled carbon nano tubes (SWCNTs) addition on the tribological properties of the polyimide (PI) films on silicon substrate was studied. PI films, with and without SWCNTs, were spin coated onto the Si surface. Coefficient of friction and wear durability were characterized using a ball-on-disk tribometer by employing a 4 mm diameter Si₃N₄ ball sliding against the film, at a contact pressure of ∼370 MPa, and a sliding velocity of 0.042 ms⁻¹. Water contact angle, AFM topography, and nano-indentation tests were conducted to study the physical and mechanical properties of the films. SWCNTs marginally increased the water contact angle of PI film. The addition of SWCNTs to PI has increased the hardness and elastic modulus of pristine PI films by 60–70%. The coefficient of friction of PI films increased slightly (∼20%) after the addition of SWCNTs, whereas, there was at least two-fold increase in the wear life of the film based on the film failure condition of coefficient of friction higher than 0.3. However, the film did not show any sign of wear even after 100,000 cycles of rotation indicating its robustness. This increase in the wear durability due to the addition of the SWCNTs is believed to be because of the improvement in the load-bearing capacity of the composite film and sliding induced microstructural changes of the composite film.     

Hardness,friction and wear studies on hydrogen peroxide treated bovine teeth

A possible problem with peroxide based tooth whitening is the loss of tooth hardness and higher susceptibility to enamel surface wear. This study focussed on the effects of acidic and neutral hydrogen peroxide solutions (6 and 30% w/v) on hardness, friction and wear of bovine enamel. The experiments showed that treatments with neutral peroxide reduced wear and the loss of enamel hardness up to 2–3 times. In addition, further investigation on remineralisation with amorphous calcium phosphate showed an increase in hardness after treatment. Friction coefficients of teeth against steel varied between 0.25 and 0.7, and wear coefficients ranged between ≈10⁻⁶ and 10⁻⁷ mm³/N m. From this study, it is possible to explain the wear behaviour of HP treated enamel with changes in hardness.     

Microstructure and Tribology of Spark Plasma Sintered Fe–Cr–B Metamorphic Alloy Powder

The spark plasma sintering (SPS) process was used to fabricate a bulk Fe–Cr–B alloy (known as Armacor M) from gas-atomized powders. The purpose of this work is to study the microstructure, hardness and tribology of this sintered bulk alloy. Post microstructure and mechanical characterizations were performed to investigate the effects of wear on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Microstructural analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed that SPS successfully produced a fully dense bulk material containing 67 vol.% Cr_1.65Fe_0.35B_0.96 particles dispersed in 33 vol.% solid solution matrix consisting of Fe, Cr and Si. Using nanoindentation, the hardness of the Cr_1.65Fe_0.35B_0.96 particles and the matrix was found to be 24 and 6 GPa, respectively. From microindentation, the bulk hardness of the sintered alloy was 9.7 GPa (991 HV). Dry sliding wear testing under mild conditions (i.e., initial Hertzian mean contact pressure of 280 MPa) was conducted against a stainless steel pin. The steady state coefficient of friction against Armacor M was about 0.82. The wear of Armacor M proceeded primarily by adhesive and mild oxidative wear. The wear volume for Armacor M was 80% less than that of carbon steel and its wear rate was 5.53 × 10⁻⁶ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹.     

Ti表面高承载摩擦学SiC薄膜的研究

采用室温磁控溅射技术在金属钛表面制备出碳化硅(SiC)薄膜。研究了SiC薄膜的组织结构、纳米压痕行为和摩擦磨损性能。实验结果表明:SiC薄膜呈非晶态,含有较多Si-C键;膜-基间结合很好,具有明显的且呈梯度的相互元素扩散;薄膜的硬度(H)为12.1 GPa,杨氏弹性模量(E)为166.2 GPa,硬度与弹性模量比值(H/E)为0.073;在以氮化硅球为对摩件,初始Hertzian接触应力约为685~930 MPa的室温Kokubo人体模拟体液条件下,其磨损速率在10-5 mm3/Nm级,摩擦系数约为0.215,且不出现薄膜的破裂及剥落现象。分析表明,该薄膜在高载荷下仍具有很好的摩擦磨损性能,其原因是薄膜具有高的韧性和很好的界面结合;高的韧性与H及H/E相对较低有关,而好的界面结合与膜-基间弹性模量的差值较小有关。     

Tribological characterization of tungsten nitride coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

The structure, hardness, friction and wear of tungsten nitrides prepared by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated. The coatings were deposited with different nitrogen to argon ratios; the total pressure was kept constant. The tribological tests were performed on a pin-on-disc tribometer in terrestrial atmosphere with 100Cr6 steel, Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ balls as sliding counter-bodies. The wear tracks, the ball-wear scars and the wear debris were analysed by scanning electron microscopy in order to characterize the dominant wear mechanisms.The coatings exhibited different phases as a function of the nitrogen content: films with low N content exhibited the α-W phase; β-W phase was dominant for nitrogen contents from 12 to 15 at.% and β-W₂N was observed for nitrogen content higher that 30 at.%. The mechanical and tribological properties of the tungsten nitride coatings were strongly influenced by the structure. The hardness and the Young's modulus values were in the ranges (29–39 GPa) and (300–390 GPa), respectively; the lowest values correspond to the coatings with the highest nitrogen content. Generally, the friction and wear rate of tungsten nitride coatings sliding against ceramic balls increased with nitrogen content reaching a maximum at 12 at.%; further increase of the nitrogen content led to a decrease of the friction and wear. The sliding with the steel balls did not wear the coatings under the selected testing conditions.     

Microstructure, Morphology and Properties of Titanium Containing Graphite-Like Carbon Films Deposited by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering

A series of graphite-like carbon films with a titanium concentration of about 3.0 at.% were successfully deposited on silicon wafer substrates using an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system with different bias voltages. The microstructure, surface morphology, and properties of the titanium-containing graphite-like carbon films were subsequently studied using different characterization techniques. The results show that the resulting titanium-containing graphite-like carbon films are completely dominated by sp² sites and that these films have moderate hardness, low internal stress, and superior tribological properties with low friction and a high load-bearing capacity. The hardness (H), elastic modulus (E), H/E, H ³/E ², and internal stress of the titanium-containing graphite-like carbon films initially increase with increasing bias voltage, only to be followed by a decrease with further increases in the bias voltage. Tribologically, the studied carbon film shows a slight increase in friction with increasing bias voltage, while the wear rate initially decreases, followed by an obvious increase. The tribological properties of the studied titanium-containing graphite-like carbon films are greatly improved under the liquid paraffin-lubricated condition, achieving extremely low friction (~0.045) and wear (~10^?9 mm³/Nm). The effect of bias voltage on the microstructure and properties of the titanium-containing graphite-like carbon films is discussed in detail.     

Low Wear Steel Counterface Texture Design: A Case Study Using Micro-pits Texture and Alumina–PTFE Nanocomposite

Laser-induced surface micro-pits pattern has been successfully used under fluid lubrication to reduce friction and wear through mechanisms of enhanced hydrodynamic lubrication and fluid retention. Limited successes of friction and wear reduction using solid lubricant and textured surfaces have been reported in the literature, and there still lacks an efficient way of finding textures that produce desired tribological performances. This study evaluates the effect of counterface micro-pits texture on wear of a notable alumina–PTFE nanocomposite and uses the Taguchi method and “Simplex Method” to find the micro-pits parameters producing the lowest wear of the composite material. The optimum texture found yields a composite wear rate of 1 × 10^?7 mm³/Nm, a value identical to the material’s wear rate against untextured counterface. However, when slid against a freshly replaced composite pin, the existing transfer film on the optimum texture reduces composite’s wear volume at low wear transition by 90% and yields a steady-state wear rate of 3.9 × 10^?7 mm³/Nm. On the contrary, preexisting low wear transfer film on untextured counterface increases wear of the newly replaced pin by 10× and yields a wear rate of 4.4 × 10^?6 mm³/Nm. Results in this study suggest larger, shallower and sparser counterface pits are more favorable for debris entrapment, transfer film formation and wear reduction when slid against polymeric solid lubricants. It also raises new possibilities of self-adapting low wear counterface texture design that could potentially support low wear without requiring large amounts of run-in wear volume of bulk solid lubricants.     

Mechanical and tribological properties of phenolic resin-based friction composites filled with several inorganic fillers

The calcined petroleum coke (CPC), talcum powder (TP) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) were used as the friction modifiers to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of phenolic resin-based friction composites (the resin matrix was coded as PHE). Thus the composites filled with the inorganic particulates of laminar structures were prepared by compression molding. The hardness and bending strength of the friction composites were measured. The tribological properties of the composites sliding against cast iron were evaluated using a pin-on-disc test rig. The morphologies of the worn surfaces of the composites and the transfer films on the counterpart cast iron disc were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy, and the elemental plane distributions on the transfer films were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). It was found that the friction composites of different compositions showed different friction and wear behaviors, which was highly dependent on the volume fractions of the friction modifiers in the composites. Namely, the inclusion of CPC, h-BN, and TP at a volume fraction of 10% helped to greatly increase the bending strength and wear resistance of the composites, and in these cases the coefficients of friction for the composites were ranged within 0.43–0.47. In particular, the PHE-based composite with 10% h-BN had excellent friction stability at various testing conditions and showed the best wear resistance above 125 °C, which was attributed to the formation of a compact friction film (third-body-layer) on the rubbing surface of the composite and of a durable transfer film on the rubbing surface of the counterpart cast iron. The PHE-based composite with 10% CPC showed the best wear resistance below 125 °C, which was ascribed to the same reasons mentioned above. The different actions of various friction modifiers in terms of their effects on the friction and wear behavior of the phenolic resin-based friction composites could be related to their different bonding strengths with the resin matrix and their different abilities to form friction films (third-body-layer) on the surfaces of the composites and transfer films on the counterpart cast iron surface as well.     

Effect of ZrN and Mo-N coatings and sulfacyanization on wear of wood-cutting knives

The effect of sulfacyanization of ZrN and Mo+Mo₂N coatings on the volume wear of hard-alloy blade cutting knives when milling chipboard laminated wood was investigated. It is revealed that this treatment reduces the volume wear of knife blades two times. Nitride coatings promote the hardness and deformation resistance of blades. Sulfacyanization forms surface film containing C, S, and N. This film is deeply deformed through the edges and pores of carbide grains reducing friction and oxidation of blades in cutting.     

Effects of Contact Pressure and Sliding Speed on the Unlubricated Friction and Wear Properties of Zn-15Al-3Cu-1Si Alloy

The unlubricated friction and wear properties of Zn-15Al-3Cu-1Si alloy were studied over a range of contact pressure (1–5 MPa) and sliding speed (0.5–2.5 ms^?1) for a sliding distance of 2,500 m using a block-on-disc type test machine. It was observed that as the contact pressure increased, the friction coefficient of the alloy decreased but its working temperature, surface roughness, and wear volume increased. Sliding speed had no significant effect on the friction coefficient of the alloy but increased its working temperature, surface roughness, and wear volume. It was also observed that the formation of a hard and brittle surface layer had a great influence on the wear behavior of the experimental alloy. The hardness and thickness of this layer increased with increasing contact pressure and sliding speed. However, contact pressure was found to be much more effective on the hardness of the surface layer of this alloy. Both adhesion and abrasion were observed to be the dominant wear mechanisms for the alloy under the given sliding conditions. The results obtained from the friction and wear tests are discussed in terms of the test conditions and microstructural changes that take place during sliding.     

Wear resistant solid lubricant coating made from PTFE and epoxy

A composite coating of polytetrafluoroethylene and epoxy shows 100 × improvements in wear resistance as compared to either of its constituents alone and reduced friction coefficient under testing on a pin-on-disk tribometer. This coating is made by impregnating an expanded PTFE film with epoxy, which provides three unique functions: (1) the epoxy compartmentalizes the PTFE nodes, which is believed to reduce the wear of the PTFE, (2) the epoxy increases the mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and hardness, and (3) the epoxy provides a ready interface to bond the films onto a wide variety of substrates easily and securely. The experimental matrix had normal loads of 1–3 N, sliding speeds from 0.25 to 2.5 m/s, and used a 2.4 mm radius low carbon steel pin in a rotating pin-on-disk tribometer. The skived PTFE films had wear rates on the order of K=10^–3 mm³/Nm and friction coefficients around =0.2. Both the high density films (70 wt%PTFE) and low density films (50 wt% PTFE) had wear rates on the order of K=10^–6 mm³/Nm and friction coefficients around =0.15. The neat epoxy films showed significant scatter in the tribological measurements with wear-rates on the order of K=10^–4 mm³/Nm and friction coefficients around =0.40. The enhanced tribological behavior of these composites is believed to stem from the coatings ability to draw thin PTFE transfer films into the contact from the nodes of PTFE, which act like reservoirs. Nanoindentation mapping of the coatings and the transfer films supports this hypothesis, and accompanies scanning electron microscopy observations of the worn and unworn coatings.     

TiN/Ti涂层在波箔轴承中的摩擦磨损性能

采用真空离子镀的方法在304不锈钢基体上喷涂厚度为3μm的TiN/Ti薄层,利用硬度计、三维形貌仪、划痕试验仪对涂层基本力学性能进行分析,通过球盘试验机分析涂层试样的摩擦磨损性能,根据波箔轴承性能测试实验台的测试结果:研究TiN/Ti涂层对基体表面耐磨减摩性能的影响。研究结果表明:TiN涂层硬度可达HV1 500,是基材硬度的5.5倍;TiN/Ti涂层平均摩擦因数为0.23,相对不锈钢304基材的平均摩擦因数0.71,降低了68%,磨损量也仅为基材的18.75%;GCr15与PTFE对磨的最大摩擦力矩可达2.4 N·mm,而TiN/Ti与PTFE对磨的最大摩擦力矩仅为1 N·mm,仅为GCr15的41.7%。TiN/Ti涂层表现出了优异的承载能力和耐磨减摩性能。     

Environmental effects on the formation process of adhesive wear particles

Three kinds of experiments have been conducted to study the effect of environmental molecules on the formation process of adhesive wear particles. First, the growth process of transfer particles was continuously observed by scanning electron microscope. It was understood that the growth of the transfer particles was due to the continuous conversion of the disc surface material into transfer particles. Next, wear tests between a Sn pin and Sn disc were conducted in an oxygen environment from 7 × 10⁻³ Pa to 1.0 × 10⁵ Pa. The size and hardness of wear particles and the wear volume increased with increasing oxygen pressure. Wear tests between Sn and Sn were also conducted while Au metals were sputter-deposited onto the friction surface. The deposition of Au had the same effect on the size and hardness of the wear particles as the oxygen atmosphere. In general, the hardness of metals is increased by the small amount of impurity atoms in them. The inclusion of oxygen or gold atoms on the surface and in the transfer particle is supposed to have the same effect of enhancing the shear strength of the interface and the transfer particles. This is the possible mechanism of the continuous shear fracture within the bulk which results in the growth of transfer particles.     

In situ tribology of nanocomposite Ti-Si-C-H coatings prepared by PE-CVD

In situ tribometry was used to examine the role of third bodies for the friction and wear behaviour of five hard Ti-Si-C-H coatings produced by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Coatings exhibited nanocomposite structures consisting of nanocrystalline titanium carbide surrounded by amorphous carbon containing H and Si (the latter being present in all coatings but one). From nanoindentation testing, the hardness for the coatings was between 22 and 35 GPa. An inverse correlation was found between hydrogen content, which was determined by Raman spectroscopy, and hardness.A custom-built in situ tribometer, equipped with a hemispherical sapphire slider, was used for reciprocating pin-on-flat wear tests. The buried interface was examined in situ with video microscopy, allowing for observation of third body formation (transfer films, wear debris) and velocity accommodation modes. The formation of a stable transfer film, which was dependent on coating chemistry and humidity level, resulted in increased wear resistance compared to coatings that did not form a transfer film, regardless of the coatings’ mechanical properties. Results from this study suggest an approach to optimising the tribological performance for hard protective coatings that does not rely solely on mechanical properties but is complemented by investigations on the third body behaviour.