Friction and Wear Properties of MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Overcoated Laser Surface-Textured Silver-Containing Nickel-Based Alloy at Elevated Temperatures

The solid lubricant that is coated on a flat surface is easily removed during friction. Surface texture dimples, which act as reservoirs of solid lubricant, can prolong the wear life of solid lubricant films. We textured silver-containing nickel-based alloys by a pulse laser and filled the micro-dimples with molybdenum disulfide powders. The tribological properties of the alloys were tested by rubbing against alloyed steel on a ring-on-disk tribometer at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600°C . After laser surface texturing, the friction coefficients of the silver-containing nickel-based alloy smeared with molybdenum disulfide powders were reduced at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 400°C. With increasing dimple density, the wear life of the MoS₂ film increased while the wear rate of the nickel-based alloy decreased. The wear life of the textured surface with a dimple density of 11.2% exceeded 10,000 m at room temperature. We conclude that molybdenum disulfide and its oxides stored in the micro-dimples play a role in lubrication at room temperature and high temperatures, respectively.     

Effect of oil additives on the durability of hydrogenated DLC coating under boundary lubrication conditions

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have became accepted non-ferrous coatings for automotive tribo-components as they offer excellent tribological properties resulting in improved fuel economy and reduced dependence on existing lubricant additives which can be harmful to catalytic converters and ultimately to the environment. Obtaining optimum durability (wear) as well as high fuel economy (low friction) using DLC-coated parts relies in part on the compatibility between surface and lubricant additives. The objective of this study is to understand the role of friction modifiers and antiwear additives on the durability of DLC coating under boundary lubrication conditions. Experiments were performed using a pin-on-plate tribotester using plates coated by 30 at.% hydrogen containing DLC (HDLC) sliding against cast iron (CI) pins. The physical observation of the wear scar, formed on the HDLC coating by low friction and/or antiwear additives, was performed using both optical and scanning electron microscopes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was performed on the tribofilms to help to understand the tribochemical interactions between oil additives and the HDLC coating. Based on the physical observations and tribochemical analysis of the wear scar, the mechanisms of failure/wear of the HDLC coating are proposed and the requirement for designing optimal additive packages for the HDLC coating is discussed.     

Effect of surface laser texture on friction properties of nickel-based composite

Laser surface texturing (LST) was performed on the nickel-based composites by a Nd:YAG pulsed laser and the regular-arranged dimples with diameter of 150 μm were fabricated on their surfaces. The textured surfaces were smeared with molybdenum disulfide powder. The tribological properties of the textured and filled composites were investigated by carrying out sliding wear tests against an alumina ball as a counterface using a high temperature ball-on-disk tribometer. The tests were conducted at a sliding speed of 0.4 m/s and at normal loads ranging from 20–100 N and from room temperature to 600 °C. The friction coefficient of nickel-based composite textured and smeared with molybdenum disulfide was found to reduce from 0.18 to 0.1 at the temperature range from 200 to 400 °C. The texture with a dimple density of 7.1% was observed to prolong wear life of MoS2 film by more than four times in comparison to the texture with other dimple densities. The lubricious oxide particles stored in the dimples reduce friction coefficient at elevated temperatures and compensate for the extra lubricant owing to the degradation of MoS₂ caused by its oxidation at high temperatures.     

Influence of humidity on the friction of diamond and diamond-like carbon materials

The friction of diamond and diamond-like carbon (DLC) materials was evaluated in reciprocating sliding wear testing under controlled relative humidity. The testing conditions were a displacement stroke of 100 μm, an oscillatory frequency of 8 Hz and a normal load of 2 N. The coefficient of friction of diamond and hydrogen-free DLC (a-C) coatings against a corundum sphere in the steady regime decreased with an increase in relative humidity. A water layer physisorbed at the interface between the mating surfaces played two major roles: acting as a lubricant and increasing the true area of contact. However, it was noticed that the friction coefficient of the hydrogenated DLC (a-C:H) coatings first increased and then decreased with increasing relative humidity in the steady state. There appeared to be a critical relative humidity for the a-C:H coatings, at which the steady-state friction reached the maximum value. The frictional behaviour of the a-C:H coatings also showed dependence on the wear test duration. The interaction between hydrogen and oxygen at the interface between the a-C:H coating and water layer was mainly responsible for such behaviour.     

In situ Acoustic Emission for wear life detection of DLC coatings during slip-rolling friction

Different diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on a steel substrate (100Cr6) were tested under slip-rolling friction conditions against uncoated counter bodies of the same steel. The initial maximum Hertzian pressure was varied in a range of P₀ = 1.5–2.3 GPa. The friction tests were carried out under dry conditions and with an unadditivated paraffin oil as lubricant. It could be shown that the thickness of the coatings affects the respective wear life. Further, a very important factor for the wear life of a coating under lubricated slip-rolling conditions is the roughness of the surface of the respective counterbody. The wear life tests were monitored by recording in situ the Acoustic Emission (AE) signals. Some causes for a high AE activity could be identified.     

Influence of DLC coating thickness on tribological characteristics under sliding rolling contact condition

Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coating of thickness 3 and 10 μm were developed with and without radical nitriding pretreatment on steel rollers and spur gear pair. The friction coefficient and wear amount were evaluated under sliding rolling contact condition in vacuum and under oil lubrication. Delamination of coatings was observed at the interface of the substrate. The wear resistance of coatings improved with the thickness of the coating. In vacuum both the roller and the gear pair of 10 μm coating thickness with radical nitriding showed identical wear behavior. The radical nitriding seemed to enhance the life of DLC coatings.     

Boundary lubrication mechanisms of carbon coatings by MoDTC and ZDDP additives

Fuel economy and reduction of harmful elements in lubricants are becoming important issues in the automotive industry. An approach to respond to these requirements is the potential use of low friction coatings in engine components exposed to boundary lubrication conditions. Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coatings present a wide range of tribological behavior, including friction coefficients in ultra-high vacuum below 0.02. The engine oil environment which provides similar favourable air free conditions might lead to such low friction levels.In this work, the friction and wear properties of DLC coatings in boundary lubrication conditions have been investigated as a function of the hydrogen content in the carbon coating. Their interaction with ZDDP which is the exclusive antiwear agent in most automotive lubrication blends and friction-modifier additive MoDTC has been studied. Hydrogenated DLC coatings can be better lubricated in the presence of the friction-modifier additive MoDTC through the formation of MoS₂ solid lubricant material than can non-hydrogenated DLC. In contrast, the antiwear additive ZDDP does not significantly affect the wear behavior of DLC coatings. The good tribological performances of the DLC coatings suggest that they can contribute to reduce friction and wear in the engine, and so permit the significant decrease of additive concentration.     

Lubrication of TiN,CrN and DLC PVD Coatings with 1-Butyl-1-Methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate

This article studies 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ionic liquid ([BMP][FAP]) as neat lubricant and 1 wt% additive to a polyalphaolefin (PAO 6) in the lubrication of TiN, CrN and diamond-like carbon (DLC) PVD coatings. Friction and wear tests were made using a ball-on-plate reciprocating tribometer under high-pressure conditions. Experiment results showed a slight friction reduction with the use of the [BMP][FAP] ionic liquid as oil additive compared with test made with neat PAO 6. [BMP][FAP] as neat lubricant provoked the lowest friction coefficients and an important wear reduction. Interactions of the ionic liquid with the surface and tribofilms formation contributed to the increase in the load-carrying capacity.     

Comparison of the effects of the lubricant-molecule chain length and the viscosity on the friction and wear of diamond-like-carbon coatings and steel

For steel contacts it is usual for the longer molecular chain lengths of saturated linear hydrocarbons and their acids and alcohols to reduce the coefficient of friction in the boundary-lubrication regime. However, the effect of these lubricant properties on DLC contacts is still unknown. Since the boundary-lubrication mechanisms between DLC coatings and conventional additives do not appear to be as effective as with metals, other potential mechanisms, even though based on weaker interactions or the oil's physical and rheological properties, may thus be very relevant. In this study we focus on the influence of the base oil's chain length and viscosity on the friction and wear in DLC/DLC contacts, and we compare this behaviour with conventional steel/steel contacts, using several simple linear hydrocarbons, i.e., alkanes, and complex branched hydrocarbons, i.e., polyalphaolefins. The results show that in both the steel/steel and DLC/DLC contacts the wear decreases with a longer molecular chain length and a higher viscosity of the oil. However, in DLC/DLC contacts the coefficient of friction increases when oil with a longer molecular chain length or a higher viscosity is used, and decreases with the lower oil viscosity and shorter chain lengths, which is just the opposite to conventional steel/steel behaviour. These results are analysed and discussed in view of lubricant cohesive energy, surface tension, shear strength, viscosity and chain length.     

Study of tribological performance of ECR-CVD diamond-like carbon coatings on steel substrates: Part 1. The effect of processing parameters and operating conditions

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates at room temperature by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) process in C₂H₂/Ar plasma. Using the designed Ti/TiN/TiCN/TiC interfacial transition layers, relatively thick DLC coatings (1-2 μm) were successfully prepared on the steel substrates. The friction and wear performance of the DLC coatings was evaluated by ball-on-disk tribometry using a steel counterbody at various normal loads (1-10 N) and sliding speeds (2-15 cm/s). By optimizing the deposition parameters such as negative bias voltage, DLC coatings with hardness up to 30 GPa and friction coefficients lower than 0.15 against the 100Cr6 steel ball could be obtained. The friction coefficient was maintained for 100,000 cycles (∼2.2 km) of dry sliding in ambient environments. In addition, the specific wear rates of the coatings were found to be extremely low (∼10⁻⁸ mm³/Nm); at the same time, the ball wear rates were one order of magnitude lower. The influences of the processing parameters and the sliding conditions were determined, and the frictional behavior of the coatings was discussed. It has been found that higher normal loads or sliding speeds reduced the wear rates of the coatings. Therefore, it is feasible to prepare hard and highly adherent DLC coatings with low friction coefficient and low wear rate on engineering steel substrates by the ECR-CVD process. The excellent tribological performance of DLC coatings enables their industrial applications as wear-resistant solid lubricants on sliding parts.     

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.     

微织构光固化填充h-BN的巴氏合金表面摩擦学性能

为了提高巴氏合金在油润滑条件下的摩擦学性能,在巴氏合金表面加工凹坑微织构并利用光固化填充方法填充六方氮化硼(h-BN)固体润滑剂,制备出h-BN与表面微织构相结合的复合润滑结构。研究复合润滑结构在油润滑条件下的摩擦学性能及其减摩润滑机制。结果表明：复合润滑结构的摩擦学性能远高于未织构面和纯织构面;当凹坑微织构直径较小时,织构密度为10%～20%时,复合润滑结构摩擦因数较小,而凹坑直径较大时,随着织构密度的增加,复合润滑结构摩擦因数逐渐减小;当织构密度小于20%时,凹坑直径较小的复合润滑结构摩擦因数小,当织构密度达到30%时,随着凹坑直径的增加,复合润滑结构摩擦因数减小。复合润滑结构能够改善巴氏合金表面摩擦学性能,是因为h-BN固体润滑剂的释放在巴氏合金表面形成了固体润滑薄膜,避免了润滑油膜较薄处的巴氏合金表面直接与45钢表面接触,且释放h-BN固体润滑剂后的微织构凹坑可以起到收集磨粒,储存润滑油的作用。     

The tribological performance of DLC coatings under oil-lubricated fretting conditions

Whether or not the process of fretting occurs is to a large extent dependent on the coefficient of friction, because the coefficient of friction directly affects the amount of shear stress. As a result, the key factor when it comes to reducing the amount of fretting damage is to reduce the coefficient of friction. Various surface coatings, and especially hard, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, are known to be able to produce surfaces with a low level of friction. Despite some such attempts in the past, which did not result in major improvements, the developments and improvements in DLC coatings in recent years suggest the need for a re-evaluation of these coatings for fretting applications. Another way to reduce the amount of friction in mechanical components is to apply lubricants, and recent studies on the lubrication of DLC coatings suggest that this combination could be very successful in preventing failures under boundary-lubrication conditions. Therefore, in this work we present the results of friction and wear measurements from three types of fretting contacts: steel/steel, steel/DLC and DLC/DLC. Boundary oil-lubrication conditions were investigated and a wide range of displacement amplitudes, i.e., from 25 to 500 μm, were selected to assess the fretting and sliding behaviours. The results show a significant difference between the fretting and sliding regimes. In the fretting regime, the DLC-containing contacts, and especially the self-mated DLC/DLC contacts, performed much better than the steel/steel contacts, and significantly reduced both the wear (a 3–10 times reduction with steel/DLC and DLC/DLC) and the friction (a more-than-two-times reduction with DLC/DLC). In the sliding regime, the lubrication effects governed the tribological performance, making the results for all three material combinations very similar.     

Wear properties of DLC-coated steel rollers running with highly contaminated lubrication

The presence of hard contaminants in lubrication can lead to the premature failure of rolling bearings. To reduce the negative effect of such contaminants, hard carbon-based coatings (diamond-like carbon; DLC) can be applied to the surfaces of steel bearings. DLC coatings generate a low friction and a high sliding wear resistance to enhance the tribological properties and improve the durability of running components. This work explores the merits of DLC coatings for use in very demanding applications, such as in highly contaminated environments. The wear properties of DLC-coated bearing rollers were evaluated by comparing them with uncoated rollers. The degree of wear found on the coated rollers was serious, especially under relatively high contaminant concentrations. The three-body abrasive wear produced a relatively coarse scoring of the coating surface, which caused the corresponding disc to suffer more damage than the disc running against an uncoated roller under the same operating conditions. The results indicate that supposedly wear-protective coatings cause even more damage to running surfaces once they have been broken up by hard contaminants, and highlight the importance of keeping the bearing coating intact. In practise, it is important to eliminate contaminants from the lubricant of rolling bearings, in particular for bearings with a DLC anti-wear coating.     

Review of engineered tribological interfaces for improved boundary lubrication

Recent advances in smart surface engineering and coating technologies offer unique possibilities for better controlling friction and wear under boundary or marginally lubricated rolling, sliding or rotating contact conditions. Specifically, such coatings can be tailored to meet the increasingly multi-functional application needs of future engine systems by enabling them to operate in lower viscosity oils with reduced sulfur and phosphorous. Using these technologies, researchers have already pioneered the development of a variety of nano-composite and super-hard coatings providing longer tool life in demanding machining and manufacturing applications. The same technologies can also be used in the design and development of novel coating architectures providing lower friction and wear under boundary-lubricated sliding conditions. For example, such coatings can be tailored in a very special way that while one of the phases can favorably react with certain additives in engine oils to result in an ideal chemical boundary film; the other phases can provide super-hardness and hence resists wear and scuffing. Because of their very dense microstructure and high chemical inertness, these coatings can also provide superior protection against oxidation and corrosive attacks in aggressive environments. The use of solid lubricant coatings may also improve the tribological properties of sliding contact interfaces under boundary lubricated sliding conditions. When fluid and boundary films fails or is broken down, such coatings can carry the load and act as a back-up lubricant. Other smart surface technologies such as laser texturing and/or dimpling, laser-glazing and -shotpeening have also become very popular in recent years. In particular, laser texturing of control or coated surfaces have opened up new possibilities for further manipulation of the lubrication regimes in classical Stribeck diagrams. Controlling dimple size, shape, orientation, and density, researchers were able to modify both the width and the height of the boundary lubrication regimes and thus achieve lower friction and wear at sliding and rotating contact interfaces. Overall, smart surface engineering and coating technologies have matured over the years and they now become an integral part of advanced machining and manufacturing applications. They can also be used to meet the increasingly stringent and multi-functional application needs of demanding tribological applications. In this paper, selected examples of recently developed novel surface engineering and coating technologies are introduced, and the fundamental tribological mechanisms that control their friction and wear behavior under boundary lubrication regimes are presented.     

The effects of contact configuration and coating morphology on the tribological behaviour of tetrahedral amorphous diamond-like carbon (ta-C DLC) coatings under boundary lubrication

ABSTRACT

Tribological studies were carried out with tetrahedral amorphous diamond-like carbon (ta-C DLC) coatings, varying in thickness and roughness, using two different contact configurations lubricated with seven types of hydraulic oils. Tribopair of cast iron and ta-C coated steel were tested in both non-conformal and conformal, unidirectional sliding contacts. The friction and wear results were mainly affected by the thickness of the coating in the non-conformal contact and the surface roughness of the coating in the conformal contact. Tests done with mineral base oil containing rust inhibitor in the non-conformal contact and with Polyalphaolefins and synthetic ester base oils in the conformal contact resulted in the lowest friction while that with mineral base oil containing zinc resulted in high friction and counterface wear. The results highlight the interdependence of contact configuration, lubricant chemistry, coating’s surface morphology and coating’s thickness in determining the tribological behaviour of ta-C coatings under boundary lubrication.     

Improved mixed and boundary lubrication with glycerol-diamond technology

Abstract

The fuel economy and reduction of harmful elements in lubricants are becoming important issues in the automotive industry. An approach to respond to these requirements is the potential use of low friction coatings in engine components exposed to boundary lubrication conditions. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings extensively studied as ultralow friction films to protect the surfaces of ductile metals for space applications are expected to fulfil this part. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the friction and wear properties of glycerol lubricated DLC coatings under boundary lubrication conditions. The DLC material consists of tetrahedral hydrogen free amorphous diamond-like carbon (denoted as ta-C) as shown by the time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) analyses and the nanoindentation measurements. The friction coefficient below 0&middot.01, called superlubricity, and no measurable wear were obtained by sliding the ta-C/ta-C friction pair in the presence of pure glycerol as a lubricant at 353 K. The mechanism by which glycerol is able to reduce the friction in the millirange was revealed by ToF SIMS analyses inside and outside wear scars formed by friction experiments using deuterated glycerol and ¹³C glycerol.     

Tribological Properties of DLC Coatings in Helium

The aim of this research work was to investigate tribological properties of low-friction DLC coatings when operating in helium atmosphere. Two commercial DLC coatings (a-C:H and Me-C:H) were included in the investigation and compared to reference PTFE-based coatings, normally used on components operating in helium. Coatings were deposited on hardened 100Cr6 bearing steel discs and tested against uncoated steel balls in low-load pin-on-disc contact configuration. Investigation was focused on the effect of substrate roughness (R _a ?=?0.05?C0.2???m) and contact conditions, including contact pressure (150?C350?MPa) and sliding speed (0.2?C0.4?m/s) on the coefficient of friction of DLC coatings operating in helium. Results of this investigation show that for low-load sliding contact DLC coatings provide low friction in helium atmosphere, similar to soft PTFE-based coatings. At the same time DLC coatings investigated were found to substantially reduce wear of the coated surface. However, while the wear of the coated part has been more or less eliminated, application of DLC coating prolongs running-in and increases wear of the steel counter-part. Furthermore, also in helium atmosphere tribolgical behaviour of DLC coatings showed dependence on the coating type and contact conditions.     

Tribochemistry of silicon and oxygen doped,hydrogenated Diamond-like Carbon in fully-formulated oil against low additive oil

Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coatings are increasingly used to reduce wear and lower friction in many applications. Doped DLCs are being produced with the goal of further enhancing the friction and wear profile as well as increasing the coating reliability.Silicon is often incorporated into DLC as it is known to affect the sp²/sp³ ratio which in turn can affect the hardness of the film. It can also improve adhesion of the DLC coating to the substrate and lower internal stress.In this study, investigations into the wear behaviour, tribochemistry and oil-formulation dependence of Si, O-doped DLC (Si-DLC) were conducted. The oxidative stability of Si-DLC was also examined.Silicon-doped DLC is able to form a protective tribofilm when a fully-formulated lubricant is used. The tribofilm is composed of S, P, Ca and Zn which are widely recognised as being important to wear reduction.A mechanism of wear repression facilitated by oil additives is proposed.     

Preliminary investigation of the effect of dimple size on friction in line contacts

The scale of surface texture is becoming an important issue of surface texture design, particularly for the condition of low speed and high load. Experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of dimple size on friction under line contact condition. The patterns of dimples distributed as square array were fabricated on the surface of brass disks. Each pattern has the same area density of 7%, the same depth over diameter ratio h/d of 0.03, and dimple diameter d varying from 20 to 60 μm. The frictional tests of the brass disk sliding against a stationary cylindrical surface of bearing roller were conducted. It was found that the pattern with dimple diameter of 20 μm presented the effect of friction reduction. For the further understanding of the effect of dimple size under line contact condition, numerical simulations were also carried out to evaluate the hydrodynamic pressure within the contact of cylindrical and plane surfaces. The effects of dimple size and radius of the cylinder on the load carrying capacity were evaluated and discussed.