Arc Evaporation of Ti–Al–Ta–N Coatings: The Effect of Bias Voltage and Ta on High-temperature Tribological Properties

Recently, titanium aluminium tantalum nitride (Ti–Al–Ta–N) coatings have been shown to exhibit beneficial properties for cutting applications. However, the reason for the improved behaviour of these coatings in comparison to unalloyed Ti–Al–N is not yet clear. Here, we report on the tribological mechanisms present in the temperature range between 25 and 900 °C for this coating system, and in particular on the effect of the bias voltage during deposition on the tribological response. Based on these results, we provide an explanation for the improved performance of Ta-alloyed coatings. An industrial-scale cathodic arc evaporation facility was used to deposit the coatings from powder metallurgically produced Ti₄₀Al₆₀ and Ti₃₈Al₅₇Ta₅ targets at bias voltages ranging from −40 to −160 V. X-ray diffraction experiments displayed a change with increasing bias voltage from a dual-phase structure containing cubic and hexagonal phases to a single-phase cubic structure. Investigations of the wear behaviour at various temperatures showed different controlling effects in the respective temperature ranges. The results of dry sliding tests at room temperature were independent of bias voltage and Ta-alloying, where the atmosphere, i.e. moisture and oxygen, were the most important parameters during the test. At 500 °C, bias and droplet-generated surface roughness were identified to determine the tribological behaviour. At 700 and 900 °C, wear depended on the coating’s resistance to oxidation, which was also influenced by the bias voltage. In conclusion, Ta-alloyed coatings show a significantly higher resistance to oxidation than unalloyed Ti–Al–N which could be an important reason for the improved performance in cutting operations.     

Tribological Performance of PTFE–Metal Binary Coatings in Rolling/Sliding Contact

Tribological performance of surface coatings with embedded PTFE reservoirs in rolling/sliding contact is reported. Using two different coating materials and two shapes and patterns of PTFE reservoirs test samples in the form of discs were prepared and tested in a four-ball contact configuration under loads corresponding to nominal contact pressure of 0.5 and 1.0 GPa. It was found that one coating, namely aluminium–bronze with embedded PTFE reservoirs is suitable for applications where rolling is also associated with a degree of sliding and there is no external lubrication.     

Effect of Operating Conditions on Tribological Response of Al–Al Sliding Electrical Interface

Aluminum is widely used in electrical contacts due to its electrical properties and inexpensiveness when compared to copper. In this study, we investigate the influence of operating conditions like contact load (pressure), sliding speed, current, and surface roughness on the electrical and tribological behavior of the interface. The tests are conducted on a linear, pin-on-flat tribo-simulator specially designed to investigate electrical contacts under high contact pressures and high current densities. Control parameters include sliding speed, load, current, and surface roughness. The response of the interface is evaluated in the light of coefficient of friction, contact resistance, contact voltage, mass loss of pins, and interfacial temperature rise. As compared to sliding speed, load, and roughness, current is found to have the greatest influence on the various measured parameters. Under certain test conditions, the interface operates in a “voltage saturation” regime, wherein increase in current do not result in any increase in contact voltage. Within the voltage saturation regime the coefficient of friction tends to be lower, a result that is attributed to the higher temperatures associated with the higher voltage (and resulting material softening). Higher interfacial temperatures also appear to be responsible for the higher wear rates observed at higher current levels as well as lower coefficients of friction for smoother surfaces in the presence of current.     

The Tribological Behaviour of Fe–28Al–5Cr/TiC Under Liquid Paraffine Lubrication

The tribological behaviour of Fe–28Al–5Cr and its composites containing 15, 25 and 50 wt% TiC (corresponding to 19.3, 31.2 and 57.6 vol%), produced by hot-pressing process, was investigated under liquid paraffine lubrication against an AISI 52100 steel ball in ambient environment at varied applied loads and sliding speeds. It was found that the wear resistance increased and friction coefficient decreased with increasing of TiC content. The coefficients of friction are in the range of 0.09–0.14 at the given testing conditions. The wear rates of all the materials except the 50% composite are on the order of 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁵ mm³ m⁻¹, the wear rate for the 50% composite is too low to quantify under the two sliding conditions, (50 N, 0.04 m/s) and (100 N, 0.02 m/s). The wear rates of all the materials increase as applied load increases and the increasing extent diminishes with the increase of TiC content, but first increase slightly and then nearly remains steadiness with increasing sliding speed. The 50 wt% composite has wear resistance about 7–20 times better than pure Fe–28Al–5Cr at different sliding parameters. The enhanced wear resistance by TiC addition is attributed to the high hardness of the composites, as well as support of the oil lubrication film/layer by the hard TiC phase. The worn surfaces of all the materials are analyzed by a scanning electron microscope. The dominant wear mechanism of the Fe–28Al–5Cr and 15% composite is grooving and flaking-off, but those of the 25 and 50% composites are mainly shallow grooving.     

Influence of Parameters of Reactive Magnetron Sputtering on Tribomechanical Properties of Protective Nanostructured Ti–Al–N Coatings

The influence of substrate temperature and bias voltage on the structure and tribomechanical properties of the Ti–Al–N coatings obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering technique has been investigated. The structure and elemental and phase compositions have been studied by scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and X-Ray diffraction. The results of friction and wear experiments indicated that the lowest coefficient of friction (three times lower than 12Cr18Ni10Ti) corresponded to a coating deposited at a bias voltage of–200 V and a substrate temperature of 340°С, while the most wear-resistant coating (under a load of 700 mN and the testing time of 1080 s) was Ti–Al–N sputtered at a bias voltage of–200 V and a substrate temperature of 440°С.     

Correlation Between Mechanical Properties and Nanofriction of [Ti–Cr/Ti–Cr–N] n and [Ti–Al/Ti–Al–N] n Multilayers

In this work, thin films deposited by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering of [Ti–Al/Ti–Al–N] _n and [Ti–Cr/Ti–Cr–N] _n multilayers of nanometric periods were analyzed by AFM in contact mode to measure values of lateral and normal forces. From these measurements, the coefficient of friction (COF) of these materials in contact with the AFM tip was calculated. Measurements were made with three types of silicon tips, diamond-coated, Pt–Cr-coated, and bare silicon. Significant differences between the tip materials in contact with the samples, which affected the COF, were observed. The effect of the environmental layer of water covering the surface sample and the tip appears as the most important factor affecting the tribology behavior of the tip-sample contact. For diamond-coated and bare silicon tips there is an additional adherence force increasing the normal load. But for tips platinum–chromium-coated there is a repulsive force due to this water layer, which behaves as a lubricant layer before a threshold load.     

Investigation of the Structure of Surface and Tribological Properties of Composition Coatings Based on Thermosetting Epoxy–Polyester Resins

Composition coatings based on the epoxy–polyester matrix and polydisperse particles of structured carbon have been investigated. The formulation of the mixed compositions has been optimized. The effect of filler particles on structure formation of the surface and tribotechnical characteristics of composition coatings has been shown.     

Tribological Behavior of Micrometer- and Submicrometer-Size Cenosphere Particulate-Filled Glass Fiber–Reinforced Vinylester Composites Under Dry and Water-Lubricated Sliding Conditions

In this work, the tribological behavior of micrometer and submicrometer cenosphere particulate–filled E-glass fiber–reinforced vinylester composites have been investigated on a pin-on-disc tester under dry sliding and water-lubricated sliding conditions. Three different uniform sizes of cenosphere particles (2 μm, 900 nm, 400 nm) were used as fillers in the glass fiber–reinforced vinylester composites. The weight fraction of cenosphere particles has been varied in the ranges from 5, 10, 15, to 20 wt%. The experimental results show that all of the composites exhibited lower coefficient of friction and lower wear resistance under water-lubricated sliding conditions than under dry sliding. It has been noted that the submicrometer size (400 nm) cenosphere particulates as fillers contributed significantly to improve the wear resistance. It has also been noted that 10 wt% of the cenosphere particles is the most effective in reducing the wear rate and coefficient of friction. Effects of various wear parameters such as applied normal loads, sliding speeds, particle size, and particle content on the tribological behavior were also discussed. In order to understand the wear mechanism, the morphologies of the worn surface were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for composite specimens under both dry and water-lubricated sliding conditions.     

Tribological Properties of Reactive Magnetron Sputtered V2O5 and VN–V2O5 Coatings

Next generation of advanced hard coatings for tribological applications should combine the advantages of hard wear resistant coatings with low-friction films. In this study, the tribological behaviour of vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) single-layer as well as VN–V₂O₅ bi-layer coatings was investigated in the temperature ranging between 25 and 600 °C. For VN–V₂O₅ bi-layer coatings, the V₂O₅ top-layers were deposited by dc and bipolar-pulsed dc reactive magnetron sputtering, where the V₂O₅ phase shows preferred growth orientation in (200) and (110), respectively. The V₂O₅ single-layer coatings were prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering with a substrate bias of −80 V which leads to a preferred (200) growth orientation. Tribological properties were evaluated using a ball-on-disc configuration in ambient air with alumina balls as counterpart. The structure of the as-deposited films and eventual changes after tribometer testing were identified using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The friction coefficient of VN–V₂O₅ bi-layer coatings deposited in dc and pulsed dc mode decreases from room temperature to 600 °C, where the pulsed dc VN–V₂O₅ coatings have a significantly lower coefficient of friction over the whole testing temperatures reaching a value of 0.28 at 600 °C. Up to 400 °C, V₂O₅ single-layer coatings showed almost the same coefficient of friction as pulsed dc VN–V₂O₅ bi-layer coatings but reached a value of 0.15 at 600 °C. It seems that thermal activation of crystallographic slip systems is necessary for V₂O₅ films to show a low-friction effect.     

Using Methods of Analysis of Optical Images of Friction Surfaces of Ti–Al–N Based Coatings for Assessing Accumulation of Damage and Diagnostics of Failure in Tribological Tests

Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing - The processes of damage accumulation and failure in thin ceramic coatings based on the Ti–Al–N system deposited on ductile steel and brittle...     

Effect of Sliding Speed on Surface Modification and Tribological Behavior of Copper–Graphite Composite

In practice, the sliding speed is an important parameter for materials applied in sliding condition. We have conducted an experimental study to explore the effect of sliding speed on friction and wear performance of a copper–graphite composite. The sliding tests were carried out over a wide range of speeds with a pin-on-disc configuration. The results show that there is a critical speed at which there is a transition of the friction and wear regimes of the composite. In addition, the formation of a lubricant layer on the contact surface (surface modification) determines the actual tribological performance of the composite. The wear mechanisms in different wear regimes are also discussed.     

Tribological Properties and Wear Mechanisms of NiCr–Al2O3–SrSO4–Ag Self-Lubricating Composites at Elevated Temperatures

NiCr–Al₂O₃–SrSO₄–Ag self-lubricating composites were prepared by powder metallurgy method and the tribological properties of composites were evaluated by a ball-on-disk tribometer against alumina ball at wide temperature range from the room temperature to 1,000 °C in air. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion was evaluated for investigation of thermal stability of composites. The tribo-chemical reaction films formed on the rubbing surfaces and their effects on the tribological properties of composites at different temperatures were addressed according to the surface characterization by SEM, XRD, and XPS. The results show that the NiCr–Al₂O₃ composite with addition of 10 wt% SrSO₄ and 10 wt% Ag exhibits satisfying friction and wear properties over the entire temperature range from room temperature to 1,000 °C. The composition of the tribo-layers on the worn surfaces of the composites is varied at different temperatures. The synergistic lubricating effect of SrAl₄O₇, Ag, and NiCr₂O₄ lubricating films formed on worn surfaces were identified to reduce the friction coefficient and wear rate from room temperature to 800 °C. Meanwhile, at 1,000 °C, the SrCrO₄ and NiAl₂O₄ was formed on the worn surfaces during sliding process, combining with the NiCr₂O₄, Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, Ag, and Ag₂O, which play an important role in the formation of a continuous lubricating film on the sliding surface.     

Chromium and Detonation Nanodiamond Based Coatings of the Chromium–Carbon System: Deposition by Magnetron Sputtering,Peculiarities of Phase Composition,and Tribological Properties

The structure, the chemical and phase compositions, and the micromechanical and tribological properties of chromium–carbon coatings obtained by the magnetron sputtering of composite and/or sintered chromium–nanodiamond targets are investigated. The coatings possess the composite multiphase structure composed of chromium and its phases formed as a result of the chemical interactions of the target material’s components both between each other and with the reactive gas if present in a sputtering atmosphere. Several technological factors influencing the structural and phase peculiarities of the coatings, their nanohardness, and the dry friction behavior at high contact pressures are studied.     

Parametric Analysis of Rolling–Sliding Line Contacts Under Boundary and Near Boundary Lubrication Conditions

This article reports a parametric analysis of rolling–sliding line contacts in boundary and near-boundary lubrication with relevance to the contacts in rotorcraft drive systems in loss of lubrication. A recently developed mathematical model for boundary lubrication with friction, temperature, and tribochemistry is used in the analysis. The parameters studied include radius of the line contact, surface hardness, boundary film shear strength, fluid–solid load sharing, system bulk temperature, load, speed, and slide-to-roll ratio. The contact condition is measured by the temperature and friction power intensity along with the boundary film integrity and mode of deformation. The results of the analysis led to a number of suggestions and elaborations listed in the Conclusion regarding various design considerations of the contacts in rotorcraft drive systems against loss of lubrication.     

Tribological performances of ZDDP and ashless triphenyl phosphorothionate (TPPT) as lubricant additives on Ti–N and Ti–Al–N coated steel surfaces

Abstract

In recent years, there has been much attention on the effects of lubricant additives on the friction and wear properties of surface coatings. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the influence of antiwear additives on the tribological performances of titanium nitride (Ti–N) and titanium aluminium nitride (Ti–Al–N) coatings. It has been reported that introducing aluminium into Ti–N coatings enhanced their oxidation resistance. In this study utilising a pin on cylinder tribometer, lubricants containing zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) or a more environmentally friendly alternative, ashless triphenyl phosphorothionate (TPPT), were used. Experimental results revealed that ZDDP and TPPT helped to reduce wear on both coatings through the formation of a tribofilm, although it was also found that both additives increased the friction coefficient on both surfaces. Based on overall findings, this paper suggests the use of TPPT as a suitable ZDDP replacement for providing wear protection on Ti–N and Ti–Al–N coatings.     

Tribological Behaviors of Carbon Fiber–Reinforced PEEK Sliding on Ion-Nitrided 2Cr13 Steel Lubricated with Tap Water

Selecting the proper material and surface treatment methods for elements is one of the essential problems when designing water hydraulic components due to the corrosiveness and poor lubricity of water. Experimental investigation was performed to study the tribological properties of ion-nitrided 2Cr13, a kind of martensitic stainless steel, sliding on carbon fiber–reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK). The influence of factors such as sliding velocity, load, and lubrication condition were studied through experiments mainly under tap water lubrication. It was found that the friction coefficients are influenced by both the pressure and the sliding velocity. In contrast, the friction coefficients between quenched 2Cr13 and CFRPEEK are much higher. Compared to water lubrication, both the wear rate and friction coefficients increase in the case of dry friction. Wear mainly occurred on the CFRPEEK. By examining the worn surfaces of the specimens, it was found that adhesion was the main form of wear of the PEEK composite.     

Dry Sliding Friction and Wear Properties of Al–25Zn–3Cu–(0–5)Si Alloys in the As-Cast and Heat-Treated Conditions

Dry sliding friction and wear properties of ternary Al–25Zn–3Cu and quaternary Al–25Zn–3Cu–(1–5)Si alloys were investigated using a pin-on-disc test machine after examining their microstructures and mechanical properties. An alloy (Al–25Zn–3Cu–3Si), which exhibited the highest tensile and compressive strengths, was subjected to T7 heat treatment. Surface and subsurface of the wear samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hardness and both tensile and compressive strengths of the alloys increased with increasing silicon content, but the trend reversed for the latter ones above 3% Si. It was observed that T7 heat treatment reduced the hardness and both tensile and compressive strengths of the Al–25Zn–3Cu–3Si alloy, but increased its elongation to fracture greatly. Three distinct regions were observed underneath the surface of the wear samples of the Al–25Zn–3Cu–3Si alloy. The formation of these regions was related to the heavy deformation of surface material and mixing, oxidation and smearing of wear material. Al–25Zn-based ternary and quaternary alloys in both as-cast and heat-treated conditions were found to be superior to SAE 660 bronze as far as their mechanical and dry sliding wear properties are concerned.     

Test Analysis of Friction Couples With Solid Lubricant Coatings under Ground–Space Conditions and Prediction of Tribological Characteristics

As a result of an analysis of the literature data on ground–space tribological tests of friction couples with solid lubricant coating (SLC) ARSRI PP 212, the dependences for evaluating the starting antifriction characteristics have been determined. The wear life and coefficient of friction have been compared. According to results, calculation algorithms of tribological characteristics of friction couples with SLC for considered operational conditions have been developed and implemented.     

Tribological study and mechanism of B–N and B–S–N triazine borate esters as lubricant additives in mineral oil

The tribological study of N-containing heterocyclic borate esters as lubricating additives had been the research hotspot. In this work, B–N and B–S–N triazine borate esters were synthesized and their antiwear/extreme pressure (AW/EP) properties were studied. Results showed the synthetical additives had good AW performance. However, B–S–N triazine borate ester showed excellent EP property while B–N triazine borate ester hardly owned EP property. The hydrolytic stability of borate ester additives was improved by the formation of coordination of nitrogen to boron. The XANES spectroscopy analysis showed that there was a layer of borate–oxygen–iron inorganics in the tribofilms. The existence of iron sulfate and iron sulfide guaranteed good AW/EP properties of B–S–N triazine borate ester additive in mineral oil.     

Tribological Properties of a C/C–SiC–Cu Composite Brake Disc

A life-size composite brake disc was produced from Si, carbon–carbon composite, copper, and phenol resin. The disc had an outer radius Ø380, inner radius Ø180, and thickness of 36 mm. Chopped carbon fibers were used to reinforce frictional and structural layers. To obtain a preform of each layer, resin and carbon-fibers were mixed and hot-pressed. The preforms were pyrolyzed, and bonded by hot pressing. Finally Si and Cu infiltration in vacuum atmosphere was carried out to obtain a C/C–SiC–Cu _x Si _y composite brake disc. The density of the disc was 2.17 g/cm³. The bending strength was 61 MPa. The heat transfer coefficients in vertical and horizontal directions were 30.7, and 85.2 W/m-°C at 25°C, respectively. Friction coefficients of the C/C–SiC–Cu _x Si _y brake disc were more stable than those of C/C–SiC brake discs. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Cu formed a compound, Cu₃Si.