Investigation on the tribology of Zr ion implanted tool steel

AISI D3 tool steel was ion implanted with zirconium and the improvement in surface tribological properties investigated. The Zr ion implantation was done using a metal vapor vacuum arc (Mevva) broad-beam ion source, with a mean ion energy of 130 keV and at doses of 3.6×10¹⁶, 5×10¹⁶ and 1×10¹⁷ ions/cm². Wear, friction and hardness of the implanted samples were measured and compared to the performance of unimplanted steel. The wear resistance was increased by about a factor of two, the friction remained about the same or was possibly increased by a small amount and the near-surface hardness was improved by a factor of five or more by the ion implantation. We also investigated the effect on the Zr implantation profile of the multi-component energy distribution of the ion beam.     

Modification of Tribological Properties of Silicon by Boron Ion Implantation

Friction and wear properties of silicon used in the fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are important for their long-term reliability. In the present study, the authors have implanted single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon wafers with boron ions to improve their mechanical and tribological properties. The authors have studied the effects of ion implantation on the crystallinity, microstructure, nanohardness, and friction and wear properties and have found that silicon remains crystalline after ion bombardment at doses up to 2 × 10¹⁷ ions.cm^?2 but with a large amount of defects. The ion bombardment modifies elastic/plastic deformation characteristics and crack nucleation that occurs during indentation. There is a minor increase, ? 10-15 percent, in the nanohardness as a result of boron-ion implantation. Ion bombarded single-crystal silicon exhibits very low friction (0.05) and low wear factor (10^?6 mm³·N^?1m^?1) while slid against a 52100 steel ball. The coefficient of friction of bombarded silicon in dry air and dry nitrogen is even lower.     

Surface Hardness and Abrasive Wear Resistance of Ion-Implanted Steels

The hardnesses of nitrogen-implanted steel surfaces have been measured with an abrasive wear technique capable of characterizing surface layers as thin as 25 nm. Treated steel disks and reference disks were abraded with 1–5 μm diamond, and relative wear resistances were calculated from the mass losses. Surface hardness was obtained from a relationship between wear resistance and hardness.

The surface of a hardened and tempered carbon steel implanted with nitrogen ions (10¹⁷/cm²) was significantly harder than with other treatments including quench hardening and nitriding. The hardness decreased to the bulk value over a depth corresponding to the initial implantation depth.

Nitorgen-implanted stainless-steel surfaces wore faster than un-implanted ones, possibly due to interference with transformation hardening which normally occurs during wearing. This “softening” effect persisted to depths several times the depth of implantation, and may help to explain the reduction of sliding wear produced by the implantation of stainless steels. Analyses by Auger electron spectroscopy indicated nitrogen migrated toward the bulk during wear.

Titanium implanted in stainless steel (4.6 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm²) produced a very hard surface with more than 10 times the abrasive wear resistance of the bulk metal.     

Effect of counterface balls on the friction layer of Ni3Al matrix composites with 1.5 wt% graphene nanoplatelets

Research on the friction layer is needed to minimize friction- and wear-related mechanical failures in moving mechanical assemblies. Dry sliding tribological tests of Ni₃Al matrix composites (NMCs) with 1.5 wt% graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) sliding against different counterface balls are undertaken at the condition of 10 N–0.234 m s^?1 in this study. When sliding against GCr15 steel, a uniform and thick friction layer is formed, resulting in a lower friction coefficient (0.29–0.31) and wear rate (2.0–3.1 × 10^?5 mm³ N^?1 m^?1). While sliding against Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄, the formation and stability of the friction layers are restricted in the severe wear regime, and the NMCs exhibit higher friction coefficients and wear rates. Therefore, various counterface balls have a great effect on the stability and thickness of the friction layer, thus affecting the tribology performance of NMCs. The result also shows that GNPs exhibit enrichment and self-organized microstructures in the friction layer. In addition, the friction layer is also found to be divided into two layers, protecting the subsurface from further damage and reducing shear.     

The Influence of Lubrication on Head and Disk Wear

Magnetic disks are usually lubricated with fluorocarbon-type lubricants to reduce head and disk wear during the start/stop process of the disk rotation. In this paper, the influence of disk lubrication on the tribological characteristics of the head/disk interface is investigated by pin-on-disk wear tests and the head/disk friction tests.

The anti-wear performance of a lubricant is very high. For example, a lubricant coating of 8.4 × 10^?5 mg/cm² exhibits 1/20 of the ferrite pin wear rate of an unlubricated disk. For a lubricated disk, ferrite pin wear decreases at increased sliding velocities as high as 10 m/s, while pin wear increases rapidly with increased velocity for an unlubricated disk. The lubricant used here performs well in suppressing the wear increase caused by increased load. Regarding friction characteristics, however, an excessive amount of lubricant induces severe head/disk sticking, causing head crash. With respect to head/disk sticking, the upper-limit of the amount of lubricant is 8.4 × 10^?5 mg/cm².     

Effect of Hardness Ratio on the Wear Performance and Subsurface Evolution of Ni3Al Matrix Composites

A favorable hardness ratio (H_disk/H_pin = H_d/H_p) could lead to a transition to mild wear during sliding contact. To determine a more appropriate H_d/H_p value for the sliding wear, the dry sliding pin-on-disk wear tests of Ni₃Al matrix composites (NMCs) with multilayer graphene (MLG) are undertaken at H_d/H_p values of 0.99, 0.83, 0.42, and 0.35 at sliding speeds of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 m/s. It is found that the tribological properties of NMCs are strongly affected by the various hardness ratios. At 0.1 m/s, the friction coefficient decreases with a decrease in H_d/H_p value. The low friction coefficient is 0.14 and the wear rate is 0.9 × 10^?5 mm³ N^?1m^?1 under the ceramic counterpart with H_d/H_p of 0.35. At 0.7 m/s, the tribological properties show the opposite trend with a decrease in H_d/H_p. At an H_d/H_p of 0.35, the smooth compact layer on the worn surface could decrease the friction at 0.1 m/s, and the improved hardness in the subsurface by strain hardening would play an important role in the improvement of wear resistance. Under the metal counterpart with H_d/H_p of 0.99, plastic deformation only occurs on the contact surface and the MLG could suppress further shear deformation in the subsurface, leading to a low wear rate (2.4 × 10^?5 mm³ N^?1m^?1) and friction coefficient (0.15) at 0.7 m/s.     

Epoxy, ZnO, and PTFE nanocomposite: friction and wear optimization

To lower the friction coefficient and increase the wear resistance of epoxy, nanoparticles of zinc oxide and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were added in small volume percents to an epoxy matrix. Tribological testing of the samples in this study was completed on a linear reciprocating tribometer with a 250 N normal load and a 50.8 mm/s sliding speed. Several samples were made and tested following a modified Simplex Method optimization procedure in order to find a volume percent for optimized wear resistance and friction coefficient. The sample with the optimum wear rate consisted of 1 volume percent of zinc oxide nanoparticles and 14.5 volume percent of PTFE nanoparticles. It had a wear rate of k = 1.79 × 10⁻⁷ mm³/Nm; 400× more wear resistant than neat epoxy. The sample with the optimum friction coefficient consisted of 3.5 volume percent of zinc oxide nanoparticles and 14.5 volume percent of PTFE nanoparticles and had a friction coefficient of μ = 0.113, which is almost a 7× decrease in friction coefficient from neat epoxy.     

Influence of high velocities and high current densities on the friction and wear behavior of copper-graphite brushes

The friction and wear behavior of Morganite CM1S powder metallurgy copper-graphite brushes at sliding velocities up to 160 m s^?1 and current densities up to 870 A cm^?2 is presented. The brushes had a cross-sectional area of 1.2 cm² and the loads employed ranged from 9 to 45 N. The wear rates as a function of velocity and the voltage drop per brush as a function of sliding velocity, brush pressure and current were determined. The wear rates under a current of 600 A are of the same order as those obtained under no current conditions. The minimum difference was obtained at a sliding velocity of 100 m s^?1 (4.1 × 10^?4 cm km^?1 with current compared with 3.4 × 10^?4 cm km^?1 without current). The wear rate exhibited by the positive brush was lower than that of the negative brush at any sliding velocity.At constant current and sliding velocity the contact voltage drop decreases with increasing brush load. The voltage drop exhibited by the positive brush is always lower than that of the negative brush. The contact voltage drop varies little with sliding speed when the current and the brush load are kept constant. At constant brush load and constant sliding speed the voltage drop increases monotonically when the current is increased. It has been determined that local rotor waviness, even of small amplitude, can produce sufficient brush bouncing to cause excessive sparking which results in pronounced damage to the brushes and rotor surface.     

Wear resistance of a sliding electric contact containing recycled ShKh15 steel

The volt-ampere characteristic and linear wear rate of a model composite containing recycled ShKh15 steel are determined at sliding velocities of 2, 5, and 10 m/s. It is shown that secondary structures appear in the friction zone at current density >100 A/cm²; these structures possess both good electric conductivity and poor plasticity. It is established that debris appear due to the brittle fracture of the secondary structures. Introduction of Pb-Sn alloy into the friction zone is shown to relax mechanical stresses, to eliminate wear during sliding at the current density 250 A/cm², and to reduce the contact electric resistance. Original Russian Text V.V. Fadin, M.I. Aleutdinova, 2008, published in Trenie i Iznos, 2008, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 524–530.     

The Elevated Temperature Wear Analysis of Laser Surface–Hardened EN25 Steel Using Response Surface Methodology

The wear behavior of as-received and laser-hardened EN25 low-alloy steel is performed in dry sliding condition using a pin-on-disc-type machine. A response surface methodology–based Box-Behnken design is used to design the experimental matrix by reducing the number of experimental conditions and to develop mathematical models between the key process parameters. The process parameters considered are applied load, temperature, and sliding distance and the responses are wear rate and coefficient of friction. Analysis of variance is used to analyze the developed model. Laser surface–hardened samples exhibit a lower wear rate (0.099 × 10³to 0.490 × 10³mm³/m) and coefficient of friction (0.080 to 0.245 μ) compared to as-received samples.     

Effect of MoO3 Tabular Crystals on TiAl Matrix Composites under Different Test Loads

The friction and wear behavior of TiAl matrix self-lubricating composites (TMSCs) with MoO₃ tabular crystals (MTCs) sliding against a GCr15 steel ball is tested using a constant speed of 0.2 m/s at room temperature under different loads from 6.65 to 16.65 N. The result reveals that TMSCs show a consistently lower friction coefficient in a certain range from 0.2 to 0.6 and less wear rate from 0.29 × 10^?4 mm³ N^?1 m^?1 to 0.49 × 10^?4 mm³ N^?1 m^?1 compared to TiAl-based alloy. Moreover, the friction coefficient and wear rate of TMSCs decrease with an increase in test load. MTCs in the deformed layer will be refined to produce interfacial shear slip and reduce the shear stress because of the weak binding force of MTCs in the sliding process, which can facilitate the formation of a deformed layer and protect the deformed layer from spalling failure. In addition, MTCs on the worn surface of TMSCs can reduce the shear stress directly. Hence, MTCs can promote antiwear of the deformed layer and reduce the friction on the worn surface of TMSCs. MTCs can play a better role in antiwear and antifriction when the test load is higher.     

Influence of a Novel Hardener p-toluene Sulfonic Acid on Mechanical and Wear Response of Phenolic-Based Friction Materials

The current work aimed to determine the effect of p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) in phenolic-based friction materials on mechanical and tribological properties. This study involved the use of phenolic resin as the binder, PTSA as the hardener, treated coconut coir whiskers as the reinforcing fiber, graphite particulates as dry lubricant, and granite fines as fillers. Synthesis was carried out by hot and cold setting techniques. In addition to hot set linings (HSLs) and cold set linings (CSLs), a lining without PTSA was fabricated for comparison. To analyze the mechanical response of the different compositions, tensile tests, compression tests, micro-Vicker's hardness tests, and density measurements were performed. Evaluation of the friction coefficients along with the wear rate was carried out using two-body sliding wear tests. The wear tests were carried out at loads of 5–15 N and speeds of 400–600 rpm. CSLs showed a coefficient of friction of 0.29 and average wear rate of 2.67 × 10^?6 mm³/Nm and HSLs showed a coefficient of friction of 0.48 and average wear rate of 2.24 × 10^?6 mm³/Nm. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the microstructure of the friction linings and the wear morphology of the different linings was analyzed by SEM along with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.     

The friction and hardness of ion-implanted sapphire

A lubricated pin-on-disc technique has been used to determine ion-implantationinduced changes in the kinetic coefficient of friction between {011̄2} single-crystal sapphire surfaces and both iron and titanium pins. Implantations of Ti⁺ (to doses of 3.2 × 10¹⁶ and 7.7 × 10¹⁶ ions cm⁻²) and Zr⁺ ions (to a dose of 1.7 × 10¹⁶ ions cm⁻²) were chosen and, for all specimens, 0.5 mm diameter pins sliding at about 60 cm s⁻¹ in light mineral spirit were used. The near-surface hardness changes arising from implantation were also evaluated using low load (25 gf and 50 gf) Knoop microhardness testing. For all specimens it was found that ion implantation resulted in increases in both the coefficient of friction and the near-surface microhardness. These results are discussed in terms of both the microstructure and the chemistry of the surface.     

The Mechanical Mixed Layer and Its Role in Cu-15Ni-8Sn/Graphite Composites

This article provides an in-depth investigation into the formation of the mechanical mixed layer (MML) and its role in Cu-15Ni-8Sn/graphite composites. Wear tests were conducted at room temperature using a ring–block configuration with an applied load of 50 N and sliding speed of 0.42 m/s. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to analyze the worn surfaces and subsurfaces. Results indicated that high graphite content contributed to the formation of a protective MML. When the MML formed on the tribosurface as the graphite content increased, both the friction coefficient and wear rate greatly decreased. The friction coefficient with a stable value of 0.075 and wear rate of 6.10 × 10^?16 (m³/N· m) were the lowest when an apparent tribolayer appeared at the graphite content of 38 vol%. The characteristics of the MML and its influence on wear mechanisms of the composites are discussed. The MML existing on the worn surface protected the materials from severe adhesion and abrasion and the predominant wear mechanisms changed to delamination, which resulted in the drastic changes in wear resistance and friction coefficient.     

Tribological Properties of Hard Carbon Films on Zirconia Ceramics

In this study, the authors investigated the tribological properties of hard diamondlike carbon (DLC) films on magnesia-partially stabilized zirconia (MgO-PSZ) substrates over a wide range of bads, speeds, temperatures, and counterface materials. The films were 2 μm thick and produced by ion-beam deposition at room temperature. Tribological tests were conducted on a ball-on-disk machine with MgO-PSZ balls, in open air of 30 to 50% relative humidity under contact loads of 1 to 50 N, at sliding velocities of 0.1 to 6 m/s, and at temperatures of 400°C. Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ balls were also rubbed against the DLC-coaled MgO-PSZ disks, primarily to assess their friction and wear performance and to compare it with that of MgO-PSZ balls. A series of long-duration lifetime tests was run at speeds of 1, 2, and 6 m/s under a 5 N load to assess the durability of these DLC films. Results showed that the friction coefficients of MgO-PSZ balls sliding against MgO-PSZ disks were 0.5-0.8, and the average specific wear rates of MgO-PSZ balls ranged from 1 × 10^?5 to 5 × 10^?4 mm³/N·m, depending on sliding velocity, contact load, and ambient temperature. The friction coefficients of MgO-PSZ balls sliding against the DLC-coaled MgO-PSZ disks ranged from 0.03 to 0.1. The average specific wear rates of MgO-PSZ, balls were reduced by three to four orders of magnitude when rubbed against the DLC-coaled disks. These DLC films could last 1.5 to 4 million cycles, depending on sliding velocity. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-laser Raman spectroscopy were used to elucidate the microstructural and chemical nature of the DLC films and worn surfaces.     

Tribological characteristics of polycrystalline Magnéli-type titanium dioxides

The results presented in this paper have clarified experimentally, that titania-based Magnéli-phases (Ti₄O₇/Ti₅O₉ and Ti₆O₁₁) with (121)-shear planes exhibit more anti-wear properties than lubricious (low-frictional) properties. The results for dry sliding indicate that the coefficients of friction lie in the range of 0.1–0.6 depending on sliding speed and ambient temperature. The COF decreased with increasing temperature (T= 22–800°C) and increasing sliding speed (υ= 1−6 m/s). The dry sliding wear rate was lowest for the Al₂O₃ at 1 m/s at 800°C with values of 1.7 × 10−8 and 6.4 × 10−8 mm³/N m, comparable to boundary/mixed lubrication, associated with a high dry frictional power loss of 30 W/mm². The running-in wear length and, more important, the wear rate decreased under oscillating sliding tests with increasing relative humidity. The contact pressure for high-/low-wear transition increased under oscillating sliding tests with increasing relative humidity. At room temperature and a relative humidity of 100% the steady-state wear rate under dry oscillating sliding for the couple Al₂O₃/Ti₄O₇–Ti₅O₉ was lower than 2 × 10−7 mm³/N m and therefore inferior to the resolution of the continuous wear measurement sensor. TEM of wear tracks from oscillating sliding revealed at room temperature a work-hardening as mechanism to explain the running-in behavior and the high wear resistance. The hydroxylation of titania surfaces favours the high-/low-wear transition. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Traction and wear of an elastomer in combined rolling and sliding

Under combined rolling and sliding materials can experience millions of cycles as well as complex loading and slip conditions, which can dramatically affect their friction and wear behaviour. It was shown that for a carbon black‐filled natural rubber compound in combined rolling and sliding contact with a smooth alumina coated disk, the traction coefficient, as a function of slip percent, was dependent upon the normal load and independent of rolling velocity. The wear rate of this material pair was found to be independent of slip percentage as well as rolling velocity but dependent upon sliding distance. The wear rate was found to be approximately the same for all tested cases (K ~ 1 × 10⁻⁴ mm³·Nm⁻¹). The worn profiles of the ball specimens showed that this wear occurred preferentially on the left side (inner radius) of the contacting area. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Effect of SiC particles on the friction and wear behavior of Ti3Si(Al)C2-based composites

The non-lubricated, sliding friction and wear behavior of Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ and SiC-reinforced Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ composites against AISI 52100 bearing steel ball were investigated using a ball-on-flat, reciprocating tribometer at room temperature. The contact load was varied from 5 to 20 N. For monolithic Ti₃Si(Al)C₂, high friction coefficients between 0.61 and 0.90 and wear rates between 1.79 × 10⁻³ and 2.68 × 10⁻³ mm³ (N m)⁻¹ were measured. With increasing SiC content in the composites, both the friction coefficients and the wear rates were significantly decreased. The friction coefficients reduced to a value between 0.38 and 0.50, and the wear rates to between 2.64 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.93 × 10⁻⁵ mm³ (N m)⁻¹ when the SiC content ranged from 10 to 30 vol.%. The enhanced wear resistance of Ti₃Si(Al)C₂ is mainly attributed to the facts that the hard SiC particles inhibit the plastic deformation and fracture of the soft matrix, the oxide debris lubricate the counterpair, and the wear mode converts from adhesive wear to abrasive wear during dry sliding.     

Friction and wear characteristics of powder metallurgy copper-graphite brushes at high sliding speeds

Friction experiments using several commercial powder metallurgy copper-graphite brushes against an AISI 4340 steel rotor were conducted at sliding velocities ranging from 20 to 235 m s^?1. The measured wear rates ranged from a minimum of 4.3 × 10^?5 cm km^?1 at a sliding velocity of 100 m s^?1 for a brush with high graphite content to a maximum of 8.4 × 10^?3 cm km^?1 at a sliding velocity of 230 m s^?1 for a brush with high metal content. The coefficients of friction ranged from a minimum of about 0.08 to a maximum of about 0.47 and were greatly affected by the presence of oxide layers at the sliding interface. Almost all the brushes exhibited some degree of edge breaking. The velocity at which edge breaking occurred was dependent on the powder grain size. Brushes with a large grain size seem to exhibit edge breaking at a lower speed than brushes with a fine grain size. High interface temperatures which occur at high sliding speeds result in melting of the lead-tin binders used in most powder copper-graphite brushes.