Tribological behaviour of polymeric coatings. Part I. Aramid particle‐reinforced epoxy nanocomposite systems

An epoxy‐based nanocomposite containing a low concentration of nanometric TiO₂ (4 vol. %), graphite powder (7.21 vol. %), and 2–14 vol. % aramid particles was developed as a coating material. The mechanical and tribological performance of the composites was investigated. The epoxy filled only with TiO₂ possessed significantly improved impact strength and flexural properties, whereas the further incorporation of graphite and aramid particles had a deleterious effect on most of the mechanical properties, except the modulus. The tribological behaviour of the composites was tested in sliding and fretting modes. Under sliding conditions, the addition of nanometric TiO₂ alone significantly improved the wear resistance and decreased the coefficient of friction compared to the neat epoxy. The sliding wear and friction behaviour was further enhanced with the incorporation of graphite and aramid particles. Contrary to the sliding wear behaviour, the fretting wear and friction behaviour was worse for the epoxy filled only with TiO₂, but was significantly enhanced by the incorporation of graphite and aramid particles. The optimum aramid particle content for sliding and fretting wear of the epoxy‐based nanocomposite was determined as 10 vol. %.     

Friction and wear of polyphenylene sulfide composites filled with micro and nano CuO particles in water-lubricated sliding

The tribological behavior of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites filled with micro and nano CuO particles in water-lubricated sliding condition were studied. Pin-on-disk sliding tests were performed against a steel counterface of surface roughness 0.09–0.11 μm. The lubrication regimes were established from friction data corresponding to various combinations of loads and sliding speeds. Later experiments were performed using the sliding speed of 0.5 m/s and contact pressure of 1.95 MPa, which corresponded to boundary lubrication regime. Micro CuO particles as the filler were effective in reducing the wear of PPS but nano CuO particles did not reduce wear. The steady state wear rate of PPS-30 vol.% micro CuO composite was about 10% of that of unfilled PPS and the coefficient of friction in this case was the lowest. The examination of the topography of worn pin surfaces of nano CuO-filled PPS by SEM revealed grooving features indicating three-body abrasion. The transfer films formed on the counterfaces during sliding were studied by optical microscopy and AFM. The wear behavior of the composites in water-lubricated sliding is explained using the characteristics of worn pin surfaces and transfer films on the counterface.     

Friction and wear properties of Kevlar pulp reinforced epoxy composites under dry sliding condition

In this work, the friction and wear properties of Kevlar pulp reinforced epoxy composites against GCr15 steel under dry sliding condition were evaluated on a reciprocating ball-on-block UMT-2MT tribometer. The effects of Kevlar pulp content on tribological properties of the composites were investigated. The worn surface morphologies of neat epoxy and its composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the wear mechanisms discussed. The results show that the incorporation of Kevlar pulp into epoxy contributed to improve the friction and wear behavior considerably. The maximum wear reduction was obtained when the content of Kevlar pulp is 40 vol%. The friction coefficient of epoxy and its composites increased with load while increase in the sliding frequency induced a reverse effect. Fatigue wear and scuffing were notable for the neat epoxy. The fatigue cracks were greatly abated when the filler content was 40 vol%. The wear grooves appeared on the worn surface at higher filler content.     

Friction and Wear Behavior of Irradiated Polyethylene Sliding Against a Rough Steel Surface

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tribological behavior of polyethylene crosslinked by gamma radiation sliding against a steel surface. Two high-density polyethylenes were irradiated to a total dose in the range of 2?20 Mrad under vacuum and at room temperature. After irradiation, the materials were annealed at 423 K and then cooled slowly to room temperature. The same thermal treatment was applied to the non-irradiated polymer. The wear behavior of the polymers was determined under controlled ambient temperature of 298 and 333 K using a homemade tribometer. Sheet-shaped specimens were loaded against the surface of a steel disc with different normal loads to generate nominal contact pressures in the range of 0.25–1.5 MPa. The tests were performed under dry conditions using a disc rotation to produce an average sliding speed of 0.6 m/s and during a period of time to provide an average sliding distance of 1,080 m. The wear rate was obtained as the mass loss by the sample divided by the sliding distance, and the friction coefficient was determined by measuring the friction force. The results indicate that the wear rate increases with load in the case of non-irradiated polyethylene and low-dose irradiated polymers, while the wear rate reaches a maximum value with the load in the case of the irradiated samples with high doses. The samples irradiated with a dose of 10 Mrad showed the lowest wear. The coefficient of friction (COF) increases slightly with the load in all the cases. Most irradiated polymers show higher COF than the non-irradiated material when compared at a given load. The results show that the irradiation dose applied to the polyethylenes produced no noticeable effect on the COF values when a comparison was made at a given applied load.     

Evolution of Tribological Properties of Reactor-Grade NiCr-B Coating

The tribological properties of reactor-grade NiCr-B hardfaced coating were studied at a constant load and sliding velocity. The objective of the present article is to investigate the changes in coefficient of friction that accompanies morphological and phase changes occurring in wear scars. Such changes result from the sliding with a spherical steel ball. The transition from the low to high coefficient of friction at higher sliding distance is attributed to severe cracking as well as fretting wear–induced deformation of surface oxide scales. Increased value of coefficient of friction arises from protracted sliding over longer distances continued to deform and detachment of weakly adhered oxides like Fe₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃. Such scales are tribochemically formed on the wear scars and contribute to alteration in the coefficient of friction. The evolution of oxide phases in wear scars is found to be one of the main mechanisms for dissipation of frictional force.     

PTFE基复合材料海水润滑下的摩擦学性能研究

研究碳纤维/聚四氟乙烯（CF/PTFE）、玻璃纤维/聚四氟乙烯（GF/PTFE）复合材料与氮化硅陶瓷配副在海水环境下的摩擦学性能与润滑机制,分析滑动速度对摩擦副海水润滑性能的影响规律。结果表明：在海水润滑条件下,随着滑动速度的增加,PTFE、CF/PTFE、GF/PTFE材料与Si3N4陶瓷配副时的摩擦学性能均有明显改善,摩擦因数与磨损率均呈显著降低的趋势,其中CF/PTFE复合材料表现出更为优异的摩擦学性能,在1 000 r/min滑动速度下摩擦因数低至0.026。磨损表面表征结果表明,在海水润滑条件下,PTFE基复合材料在摩擦过程中由于摩擦化学反应生成了润滑膜,可为摩擦副提供良好的润滑和减磨作用,从而减少摩擦磨损行为的发生。     

Tribological Properties of Borided AISI 4140 Steel with the Powder Pack-Boriding Method

The present study evaluates the tribological properties of boride layers on the surface of AISI 4140 steel, formed using the pack-boriding method. Commercial EKabor^®2 was used as the boronizing agent and the treatment was carried out at 900, 950, 1000, and 1050 °C for 2, 4, and 6 h, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microhardness tests were used to characterize the phase composition, microstructure, and local hardness, respectively, of the borided steel samples. Block-on-disc tests were used to investigate tribological properties. Abrasive wear tests were carried out using emery paper at a fixed sliding speed and three different loads. Adhesive wear tests were executed against AISI 52100 steel at a fixed load and distance. The coefficient of friction values (COF) of the samples were determined simultaneously during the tests. The weight loss and COF of the borided samples were compared with untreated samples and the results suggest that both wear resistance and friction properties of the AISI 4140 steel improve with boriding.     

Wear characterization of electrodeposited Ni–WC composite coatings

The present contribution reports the tribological properties of Ni–WC composite coatings, electrodeposited on steel substrate. Commercial WC particles with an average size of 5 μm were codeposited with Ni on a mild steel substrate using a Watts bath at 50°C. The effect of plating variables on deposition behavior was studied. The amount of WC in the deposited layer decreased and plating efficiency increased with an increase in current density from 0.1 to 0.3 A/cm². The tribological properties of the coatings were studied using a small amplitude reciprocating friction wear tester. The addition of WC in Ni increases the microhardness of the electrodeposited coatings. An important result is that the presence of embedded WC particles in the electrodeposited coatings results in a much lower coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.34, when compared with pure Ni (COF 0.62) and mild steel (COF 0.54).     

A study of the thermal,dynamic mechanical,and tribological properties of polyphenylene sulfide composites reinforced with carbon nanofibers

The thermal, dynamic mechanical, and tribological properties of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites reinforced with carbon nanofiber (CNF) were studied. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to study the viscoelastic properties and thermal transitions. In order to study the tribological properties, friction and wear tests in a pin-on-disk configuration were performed. The changes in melting point, crystallization temperature, and glass transition temperature were found to be small as a result of reinforcement. Steady state wear rates of the reinforced composites sliding against the counterface of roughness 0.13–0.15 μm Ra were significantly lower than that of the unreinforced PPS. When the composites were tested against the smoother counterface of 0.06–0.11 μm Ra, the wear rates were higher. The coefficient of friction in all the cases was not practically affected by the presence of CNF. The transfer films formed on the counterface during sliding were examined by optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The variation of wear is discussed in terms of the texture and topography of transfer film.     

Tribological Behavior of NiAl–1.5 wt% Graphene Composite Under Different Velocities

The progress in aerospace field requires a new NiAl matrix composite that can stand against wear and decrease the energy dissipation through decreasing friction. In this study, the tribological behavior of NiAl–1.5 wt% graphene composite is investigated at room temperature under a constant load of 12 N and different sliding velocities. The results show that the friction coefficient and wear rate increase with increasing sliding velocity from 0.2 to 0.4 m/s due to the adhesion between the sliding bodies and tearing of the graphene layer. The friction coefficient and wear rate tend to decrease at a sliding velocity of 0.6 m/s as a result of severe plastic deformation and grain refinement of the worn surface. However, at 0.8 m/s the friction coefficient reaches a minimum value and the wear rate increases and changes the wear mechanism to fatigue wear. It can be concluded that various wear mechanisms lead to different tribological performance of NiAl–1.5 wt% graphene composite.     

The Tribological Behavior of a Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb Alloy Under Liquid Paraffine Lubrication

The tribological behavior of a Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy prepared by hot-pressed sintering was investigated under liquid paraffine lubrication against AISI 52100 steel ball in ambient environment and at varying loads and sliding speeds. For comparison, the tribological behavior of a common Ti-6Al-4V alloy was also examined under the same testing conditions. The worn surfaces of the two alloys were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The friction coefficient of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy in the range of 0.13–0.18 was significantly lower than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (0.4–0.5), but comparable to that under dry sliding, which indicated that TiAl intermetallics could be more effectively lubricated by liquid paraffine than titanium alloys. Applied load and sliding speed have little effect on the friction coefficient of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy. The wear rate of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy was about 45–120 times lower than that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy owing to Ti-6Al-4V alloy could not be lubricated effectively. The wear rate of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy increased with increasing applied load, but decreased slightly at first and then increased with increasing sliding speed. The wear mechanism of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb intermetallics under liquid paraffine lubrication was dominated by main plowing and slight flaking-off, but that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy was plastic deformation and severe delamination.     

Tribological behaviors and mechanisms of Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>AlC<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Tribological behaviors and the relevant mechanism of a highly pure polycrystalline bulk Ti₃AlC₂ sliding dryly against a low carbon steel disk were investigated. The tribological tests were carried out using a block-on-disk type high-speed friction tester, at the sliding speeds of 20–60 m/s under a normal pressure of 0.8 MPa. The results showed that the friction coefficient is as low as 0.1∼0.14 and the wear rate of Ti₃AlC₂ is only (2.3–2.5) × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm in the sliding speed range of 20–60 m/s. Such unusual friction and wear properties were confirmed to be dependant dominantly upon the presence of a frictional oxide film consisting of amorphous Ti, Al, and Fe oxides on the friction surfaces. The oxide film is in a fused state during the sliding friction at a fused temperature of 238–324 °C, so it takes a significant self-lubricating effect.     

Sliding wear behavior of Fe-based bulk metallic glass at high temperature

In the past decade Fe-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have attracted increasing attention due to their beneficial properties, including high glass forming ability (GFA), high strength and hardness and high fracture toughness in both fundamental science and engineering application. Most research using these materials has been conducted at room temperature environment, and research that assesses their behavior especially at high temperature has been scarce. We present the results of high temperature effect on the friction and wear behavior of Fe-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), and we tested that this material may satisfy wear and oxidation resistance at high temperature as well as to explore the high temperature wear mechanism of the Fe-based BMG. The dry sliding tribological behaviors of Febased BMG against Si₃N₄ ceramic were conducted with a pin-on-disc friction and wear tribometer. The morphology of the worn surfaces of Fe-based BMG was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the chemical composition characterized with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to observe the wear characteristics and investigate the wear mechanisms. The overall average friction coefficient value generally decreased with increasing temperature, and the glass transition and the formation of protective oxide film played an important role in the tribological behavior of BMG. The wear resistance of Fe-based BMG was not only from their hardness but also from the formation protective oxide layer. Analysis of the worn surface revealed abrasion, plastic deformation and oxidation during sliding test.     

Ultralow Friction Between Steel Surfaces Achieved by Lubricating with Liquid Crystal After a Running-in Process with Acetylacetone

A suitable running-in process is advantageous for reducing friction. The aim of the present work was to study the influence of the running-in with acetylacetone on tribological performance of 4-Cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal. Friction tests were performed between steel surfaces in a ball-on-disk sliding system. After a running-in period of 240 s, the COF of 5CB was measured to be 0.013, which is about a quarter of the value (0.055) without running-in. The reduced contact pressure, caused in running-in process, does not directly lead to a drop in COF. The generation of tris(acetylacetonato) iron(III) induced by the tribochemical reactions between acetylacetone and steel surfaces, and the unique physical properties of liquid crystal are assumed to be reasons for the ultralow COF. Surface analysis was performed to correlate COF with the topography of wear surfaces. An evenly distributed specific grooved structure observed on wear area of the ball may have a beneficial effect on COF as well. We believe our findings can provide an effective and simple solution to reduce COF of liquid crystal between steel surfaces. A better understanding of the tribological behavior is needed for the development of this tribological system and for the possible future applications.     

Tribological behavior of Cu20%Nb and Cu15%Cr in situ composites under dry sliding conditions

The tribological behavior of Cu20%Nb and Cu15%Cr in situ composites was studied on a pin-on-disk tester. Composite pins were slid against a hardened AISI 52100 steel disk under dry ambient conditions. Comparison of coefficient of friction, wear rate and bulk temperature was made between the two composites in terms of effects of normal pressure and sliding speed. Microstructural changes in the composites due to sliding were studied and correlated with the change of tribological behavior. The wear rate increased with increasing normal pressure and decreased with increasing sliding speed in the studied range of normal pressure (0.06–0.56 MPa) and sliding speed (2.50–5.83 m s⁻¹) for both composites. Cu20%Nb showed a much better wear resistance and a lower coefficient of friction than Cu15%Cr. The coefficient of friction slightly increased for Cu20%Nb and slightly decreased for Cu15%Cr with increasing normal pressure. The coefficient of friction for both composites decreased with increasing sliding speed. The bulk temperature was higher and subsurface deformation layer thickness was larger for Cu15%Cr than for Cu20%Nb. Both of them increased with increasing normal pressure and sliding speed. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed plastic deformation flow on the wear surface at an early stage for both composites. However, the formation of a surface film led Cu20%Nb composite to reach a steady state much sooner and therefore to have a lower wear rate than Cu15%Cr.     

Application of grey-taguchi method for optimization of dry sliding wear properties of aluminum MMCs

Through a pin-on-disc type wear setup, the dry sliding wear behavior of SiC-reinforced aluminum composites produced using the molten metal mixing method was investigated in this paper. Dry sliding wear tests were carried on SiC-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) and its matrix alloy sliding against a steel counter face. Different contact stresses, reinforcement percentages, sliding distances, and sliding velocities were selected as the control variables, and the responses were selected as the wear volume loss (WVL) and coefficient of friction (COF) to evaluate the dry sliding performance. An L25 orthogonal array was employed for the experimental design. Initially, the optimization of the dry sliding performance of the SiC-reinforced MMCs was performed using grey relational analysis (GRA). Based on the GRA, the optimum level parameters for overall grey relational grade in terms of WVL and COF were identified. Analysis of variance was performed to determine the effect of individual factors on the overall grey relational grade. The results indicated that the sliding velocity was the most effective factor among the control parameters on dry sliding wear, followed by the reinforcement percentage, sliding distance, and contact stress. Finally, the wear surface morphology and wear mechanism of the composites were investigated through scanning electron microscopy.     

Transfer film bonding and wear studies on CuS-nylon composite sliding against steel

The tribological behaviour of nylon 11 reinforced with lead sulphide filler was studied. The composite specimens with different filler proportions were made by compression moulding. The friction and wear experiments were run under ambient conditions in a pin-on-disk machine with the composite pin riding on the flat surface of a steel disk. It was found that 35 vol.% PbS-nylon composite had the highest wear resistance. The friction and wear tests were run with this composite at different loads, speeds and counterface roughnesses. The wear rate increased considerably when the load was increased from 19.6 N to 39.2 N and the sliding speed from 1 m/s to 2 m/s, but the effect of these increases on the coefficient of friction was very small. The wear rate also increased abruptly when the surface roughness was increased from 0.11 to 0.3 μm but the coefficient of friction was not affected. It was found that the wear process was dominated by the transfer film that formed on the counterface. The transfer film and the worn surfaces were studied by scanning electron microscopy. XPS analysis indicated chemical bonding between the polymer composite transfer film and the steel counterface.     

Sliding Wear of Electrically Conductive ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript>−WC Composites Against WC–Co Cemented Carbide

ZrO₂-based composites with WC addition can be successfully machined by electrical discharge machining (EDM) in demineralised water. ZrO₂ composites with 40 vol.% WC were produced from nanocrystalline and micrometre sized WC starting powders in order to compare their tribological behaviour. Friction and wear data are obtained on wire-EDM’ed ZrO₂–WC composite flats sliding against a WC–Co cemented carbide pin using a small-scale pin-on-plate testing rig. Correlations between wear volume, wear rate and friction coefficient on the one hand and material properties and test conditions on the other hand were elucidated. The experimental results revealed that the grain size of the electro-conductive WC-phase exhibits a strong influence on the friction and wear behaviour of the ZrO₂-based composite.     

On sliding friction and wear of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites at elevated temperatures

The friction and wear behaviour of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites, incorporating different amounts of short carbon fibres with different surface treatments, was studied under dry sliding conditions against smooth steel on a pin-on-disc apparatus at different temperatures. Wear of the composites was reduced considerably in all cases, but, whatever the surface treatment, wear increased with increasing temperature for all proportions off fibres. For minimum friction coefficient there was an optimum proportion of fibre volume fraction of about 10 vol.%. The effect of the fibre surface treatment was not significant for the tribological behaviour of the PEEK composites. To predict wear performance, a wear model proposed by Friedrich and Voss seemed to work properly, and, furthermore, a friction model was developed to predict the friction behaviour of PEEK composites with short carbon fibres.     

Ultra-High Tribological Performance of Magnetron Sputtered a-C:H Films in Sand-Dust Environment

The hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates using a RF magnetron sputtering graphite target in the CH₄ and Ar mixture atmosphere. The friction and wear behavior of a-C:H films were comparatively investigated by pin-on-disc tester under dry sliding and simulated sand-dust wear conditions. In addition, the effects of applied load, amount of sand and sand particle sizes on the tribological performance of a-C:H films were systemically studied. Results show that a-C:H films exhibited ultra-high tribological performance with low friction coefficient and ultra-low wear rate under sand-dust environments. It is very interesting to observe that the friction coefficient of a-C:H film under sand-dust conditions was relatively lower when compared with dry sliding condition, and the wear rate under sand-dust conditions kept at the same order of magnitude (×10⁻¹⁹ m³/N m) with the increase of applied load and particle size as a comparison with the dry sliding condition. Based on the formation of “ridge” layer (composite transfer layer), a transfer layer-hardening composite model was established to explain the anti-wear mechanisms and friction-reducing capacity of a-C:H solid lubrication films under sand-dust conditions.