Soft-tribology: Lubrication in a compliant PDMS–PDMS contact

We investigate the influence of surface roughness and hydrophobicity on the lubrication of a soft contact, consisting of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) sphere and a flat PDMS disk. The full Stribeck curves, showing boundary, mixed and elasto-hydrodynamic (EHL) lubrication, are presented for varying surface roughness and hydrophobicity. It is found that neither surface roughness nor hydrophobicity influence the friction coefficient (μ) within the EHL regime. However, increasing surface roughness decreases μ in the boundary regime, while extending the limits of the boundary and mixed lubrication regimes to larger values of the product of velocity and lubricant viscosity (Uη). The transition from the mixed lubrication to EHL regime is found to take place at lower values of the film thickness parameter Λ for increasingly rough surfaces. We found Λ=0.7 in the case of a root mean square (r.m.s.) surface roughness of 3.6 μm, suggesting that the effective surface roughness in a compliant compressed tribological contact is lower than that at ambient pressures. Rendering the PDMS surface hydrophilic promotes full-film lubrication and dramatically lowers μ in the boundary regime by more than an order of magnitude. This influence of surface wetting is also displayed when examining a range of lubricants using hydrophobic tribopairs, where the boundary μ decreases with decreasing lubricant–substrate contact angle. Implications of these measurements are discussed in terms of the creation of model surfaces for biotribological applications.     

Investigating the Effect of Surface Finish on Mixed EHL in Rolling and Rolling-Sliding Contacts

Surface finish may significantly affect the lubrication performance of a tribological interface through the influence of topography on micro/nanoscale fluid flows around localized contacts at surface asperities. This paper aims to study the mixed lubrication performance of a group of engineered surfaces, including turned, isotropically finished, ground, and dimpled surfaces, under different operation conditions by means of a deterministic mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) model. The honed surface was used to mate with other surfaces. The results indicate that a longitudinal contact ellipse favors longitudinally oriented mating surface roughness and that a transverse contact ellipse, as well as a line contact, prefers a transversely orientated mating surface roughness for lubrication enhancement.     

Synergistic effects between sulfurized W-DLC coating and MoDTC lubricating additive for improvement of tribological performance

Low temperature ion sulfuration technology was used to obtain sulfurized layer on W doped diamond-like carbon (W-DLC) coating. The tribological behaviors of the pure W-DLC and sulfurized W-DLC coatings were investigated under PAO and MoDTC lubrication conditions. It shows that sulfurized W-DLC coatings can obviously improve their tribological performances under PAO with MoDTC lubrication. The primary reason is due to the formation of WS_x on the surface of sulfurized W-DLC coating, the decomposition of additives for formation a higher ratio of Mo sulfide/Mo oxide and the graphitization for a high ratio of sp²/sp³.     

Pitting Durability of Electrolytically Polished Medium Carbon Steel Gears - Succeeding Report

The previous paper showed that electrolytic polishing of roughly ground teeth successfully extended the pitting durability of medium carbon steel gearing under severe loading and poor lubrication conditions, whereas smoothing the teeth had been supposed to have little effect on the pitting durability for such a material whose Brinell hardness is lower than 3000 (MPa). The effect is attributable to the tribological superiority peculiar to electrolytically polished steel surfaces. The present paper reveals its excellence in pitting durability definitely, comparing with the durability of finely ground teeth having almost the same surface roughness.     

In-process structuring of CrN coatings, and its influence on friction in dry and lubricated sliding

The growing trend to improve component lifetimes coupled with the need to conserve resources is driving new technologies in fields such as tool and forming industries. The use of in-process structuring applied to hard coatings on surfaces is one way of creating lubricating surfaces on the microscale, with superior tribological properties and improved lifetimes.In this study, CrN coatings deposited by plasma-activated physical vapor deposition (PAPVD) on hard metal substrates were structured by variation of the deposition parameters. The parameter combinations favorable for surface structuring were identified.Of the various deposition parameters that were varied in this study, the bias voltage was determined to have a dominating influence on the surface structure of the coatings. A wide variety of structures were fabricated, ranging from flat to highly creviced, with grain sizes ranging from 5 to 500 nm, as determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Profilometer measurements show that the surface roughness, R_a, could be varied from 0.04 to 0.12 μm. The highly creviced surfaces however exhibit a somewhat reduced hardness as well as lower adhesion to the substrates, relative to flat CrN surfaces. Even so, ball-on-disk (BoD) experiments, performed under conditions of minimum lubrication at high loads exhibited a longer wear life on the highly structured coatings compared to the relatively flat, unstructured surfaces. This is attributed to lubricant accumulation in microfissures present in the structured coatings. These microreservoirs not only provide critical lubrication at the contacting surfaces but also act as traps for wear-generated debris. Furthermore, the advantages of surface structuring are even more evident under low load conditions; this effect is the result of the reduced contact area and directed lubrication provided by the surface structuring.     

Effect of Micro-Dimples on Hydrodynamic Lubrication of Textured Sinusoidal Roughness Surfaces

Surface texturing has been applied to improving the tribological performance of mechanical components for many years. Currently, the researches simulate the film pressure distribution of textured rough surfaces on the basis of the average flow model, and however the influence of roughness on the film pressure distribution could not be precisely expressed. Therefore, in order to study the hydrodynamic lubrication of the rough textured surfaces, sinusoidal waves are employed to characterize untextured surfaces. A deterministic model for hydrodynamic lubrication of microdimple textured rough surfaces is developed to predict the distribution of hydrodynamic pressure. By supplementing with the JFO cavitation boundary, the load carrying capacity of the film produced by micro-dimples and roughness is obtained. And the geometric parameters of textured rough surface are optimized to obtain the maximum hydrodynamic lubrication by specifying an optimization goal of the load carrying capacity. The effect of roughness on the hydrodynamic pressure of surface texture is significant and the load carrying capacity decreases with the increase of the roughness ratio because the roughness greatly suppresses the hydrodynamic effect of dimples. It shows that the roughness ratio of surface may be as small as possible to suppress the effect of hydrodynamic lubrication. Additionally,there are the optimum values of the micro-dimple depth and area density to maximize the load carrying capacity for any given value of the roughness ratio. The proposed approach is capable of accurately reflects the influence of roughness on the hydrodynamic pressure, and developed a deterministic model to investigate the hydrodynamic lubrication of textured surfaces.     

Effect of MWCNTs-COOH Reinforcement on Tribological Behaviors of PI/MWCNTs-COOH Nanocomposites Under Seawater Lubrication

The carboxyl-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT-COOH) was achieved by grafting carboxyl (COOH) groups onto surfaces of MWCNTs. Then polyimide (PI)-based nanocomposites reinforced with MWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs were prepared by in situ polymerization and the tribological behaviors of PI/MWCNTs-COOH and PI/MWCNT nanocomposites were studied under dry friction and seawater lubrication. The results showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs could greatly improve the wear resistance of PI because of the lubricating effect of MWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs. In additon, the PI/MWCNTs-COOH exhibited better tribological performance than the PI/MWCNTs under dry friction due to functionalization of MWCNTs. In addition, PI/MWCNTs-COOH nanocomposites presented better tribological properties under seawater lubrication than other conditions because of the excellent lubricating effect of seawater, especially when the content of MWCNTs-COOH was 0.7 wt%. Furthermore, the effects of applied load and sliding speed on the tribological behaviors of PI/MWCNTs-COOH nanocomposites were studied under seawater lubrication. It was found that 0.7 wt% PI/MWCNTs-COOH nanocomposites had the best friction reduction and antiwear properties when the applied load and sliding speed were 3 N and 0.26 m/s, respectively, under seawater lubrication.     

水润滑下偶件表面粗糙度对PTFE复合材料摩擦学性能的影响

通过水润滑下的摩擦磨损实验,研究了偶件表面粗糙度对MoS2/PTFE复合材料摩擦学性能的影响,分析了在不同的偶件表面粗糙度下的摩擦学行为.实验结果表明:在水润滑下,一般存在着一个较佳的偶件表面粗糙度范围,在这个范围内可以取得较低的摩擦因数和磨损率;当偶件表面粗糙度高于这个范围时,摩擦磨损机制主要是机械作用;而当偶件表面粗糙度低于这个范围时,则主要是由于分子作用导致摩擦磨损.即当偶件表面粗糙度超出某一范围时,摩擦磨损行为将发生转变.     

Textured surfaces in sliding boundary lubricated contacts – mechanisms,possibilities and limitations

Abstract

The mechanisms of friction and wear in boundary lubrication are complex with influences from the surface roughness and hardness of surfaces, the lubricant and the wear products. Introduction of a texture on either surface can influence several important parameters. Wear particles can be collected or produced by the surface texture. A lubricating film can suffer or gain and the lubrication regime might change. This paper presents an overview of the tribological effects and important parameters of textured surfaces in sliding boundary lubricated contact, based on the experience of the authors and on published results. Examples of successful and less successful textured contacts are given and some recommendations regarding size, orientation and textured area fraction are presented.     

Tribological interaction between multi-walled carbon nanotubes and silica surface using lateral force microscopy

This work presents the tribological interaction between multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silica surface using lateral manipulation in the atomic force microscope (AFM). The MWCNT is mechanically manipulated by a pyramidal silicon probe of an AFM using the same scan mechanism as in the imaging mode. With a controlled normal force of the AFM probe, it was found that lateral force applied to the MWCNT could overcome the tribological adhesion between MWCNT and silica surface, causing individual MWCNT to rotate on the silica. According to the results, the shear stresses due to tribological interacting with the MWCNTs and the silica are 59.6 MPa and 64.8 MPa for the MWCNT 1 (100 nm diameter) and the MWCNT 2 (60 nm diameter), respectively. Experimental results show that the shear stress increases with the increasing rotation angle for each manipulation, from which we determine the linear fitting function. In addition, we determine the relationship between push point and pivot point to realize the rotation behavior. The implications of tribological interaction between the MWCNTs and silica surface are discussed in detail.     

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube-Imidazolium Tosylate Ionic Liquid Lubricant

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were added in a 0.5 wt% proportion to 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium room temperature ionic liquids (IL) The new IL + MWCNTs dispersions obtained by mechanical grinding were used as lubricants of the polycarbonate (PC) disc/AISI 316L stainless steel pin contact, and their tribological performance compared with that of the corresponding IL. The highest friction reduction at 0.98 N and 0.10 m s^?1, of a 54 %, was obtained when MWCNT were added to 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate ([EMIM]Ts). The [EMIM]Ts + MWCNT dispersion was further characterised by rheological measurements, contact angle, DSC, TGA, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, TEM microscopy and XRD. The addition of MWCNTs increases the viscosity of the IL in a 50 % at room temperature and the wettability on the PC surface, while the IL increases the purity and alignment of the nanotubes. The variation of friction coefficient was determined under variable sliding velocity conditions. The higher friction reduction for [EMIM]Ts + MWCNT with respect to [EMIM]Ts is observed for sliding velocities higher than 0.075 m s^?1. Under the experimental conditions, the surface damage on the PC and AISI 316L surfaces was negligible.     

Influence of roughness parameters and surface texture on friction during sliding of pure lead over 080 M40 steel

In the present investigation, tests were conducted on a tribological couple made of cylindrical lead pin with spherical tip against 080 M40 steel plates of different textures with varying roughness under both dry and lubricated conditions using an inclined pin-on-plate sliding tester. Surface roughness parameters of the steel plates were measured using optical profilometer. The morphologies of the worn surfaces of the pins and the formation of transfer layer on the counter surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope. It was observed that the coefficient of friction and the formation of transfer layer depend primarily on the surface texture of hard surfaces. A newly formulated non-dimensional hybrid roughness parameter called ‘ξ’ (a product of number of peaks and maximum profile peak height) of the tool surface plays an important role in determining the frictional behaviour of the surfaces studied. The effect of surfaces texture on coefficient of friction was attributed to the variation of plowing component of friction, which in turn depends on the roughness parameter ‘ξ’.     

An investigation of optimum SiO2 nanolubrication parameters in end milling of aerospace Al6061-T6 alloy

Aluminium AL6061-T6 is a common alloy which is used for many purposes since it has the superior mechanical properties such as hardness and weldability. It is commonly used in aircraft, automotive and packaging food industries. Milling of Al6061-T6 would be a good process especially in producing varieties shape of products to adapt with different applications. The capability of the CNC milling machine to make batch production would be a noteworthy advantage. However, the demand for high quality focuses attention on product quality, especially the roughness of the machined surface, because of its effect on product appearance, function and reliability. Introducing correct lubrication in the machining zone could improve the tribological characteristic of Al6061-T6 leading to higher product quality. In this research work, the optimum SiO₂ nanolubrication parameters in milling of Al6061-T6 are investigated to achieve correct lubrication conditions for the lowest cutting force, cutting temperature and surface roughness. These parameters include nanolubricant concentration, nozzle angle and air carrier pressure. Taguchi optimization method is used with standard orthogonal array L₁₆(4)³. Furthermore, analyses on surface roughness and cutting force are conducted using signal-to-noise (S/N) response analysis and the analysis of variance (Pareto ANOVA) to determine which process parameters are statistically significant. Finally, confirmation tests were carried out to investigate the optimization improvements.     

Candle Soot as Particular Lubricant Additives

An onion-like carbon material was prepared from candle soot, and its tribological properties as an additive were investigated in water. The material assumed a spherical shape with a layered nanostructure based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis and had considerable sp² hybrid carbon as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. The tribological properties were determined on an optimal SRV-IV oscillating reciprocating friction and wear tester. The results indicate that these candle soots as additives are able to effectively reduce both the friction and wear of sliding pairs in water. In addition, the chemical reactivity, physical stability, surface charge, and size of candle soot had a key impact on their lubrication properties. Based on our characterization of the wear scars by scanning electron microscopy and in situ Raman spectroscopy, we suggest a rolling and sliding lubrication mechanism.     

Tribological properties of lubricated nanocrystalline diamond surfaces for various loads and geometries

Abstract

Diamond and diamond-like carbon films are well known for their outstanding properties such as high hardness, low coefficient of friction, good thermal conductivity, excellent biocompatibility and electrical insulation. Diamond films with nanocrystalline grains offer added advantages of higher hardness, improved surface finish (less roughness), very high sp³ content, etc. In view of the above, the present investigation is undertaken to explore the possibility of using nanocrystalline diamond films in advanced tribological applications. In this work, a nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited using a unique chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. The microstructural features are characterised using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Tribological behaviour of these films is evaluated by means of a reciprocating model tribometer with various lubricants. The worn surfaces are examined using three-dimensional confocal microscopy. The results show that these films have comparable friction coefficient with and without lubricants. Furthermore, they exhibited negligible wear for the tested range of loads.     

Tribological properties of Si-containing diamond-like carbon film under ATF lubricated condition

Recent years have seen a rise in social needs regarding safety and the environment, and this has placed increasing importance on product development for automotive parts that leads to smaller sizes, higher capacity, and lower costs. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating technology is being focused on as an effective solution to such issues.This paper reports on the tribological properties of a Si-containing diamond-like carbon film under an automatic transmission fluid (ATF) lubricated condition, which dramatically improves the performance of an electromagnetic clutch used in electronically controlled All-wheel-drive (AWD) coupling. The Si-containing DLC film maintains its rough sliding surface while simultaneously exhibiting extremely low aggression against mating materials. Thus, the boundary lubrication state of the initial friction stage is maintained, while also displaying a positive μ–v slope with excellent anti-shudder performance and a satisfactory friction coefficient as demanded by the drive train.Based on time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) of sliding surfaces, it was speculated that the mechanism behind the good tribological properties of a sliding material coated with Si-containing DLC film under fluid lubrication are in part connected to the material properties of the DLC-Si film and an adsorbate such as a succinimide-based dispersant.     

Heat of adsorption and critical temperature studies of boundary lubricants on steel surfaces

The study of heat of desorption on sliding steel surfaces under boundary lubrication gave an optimum surface roughness value at which the total heat is minimum. This value is both quantitatively and qualitatively analysed and identified as heat of desorption of molecules of additives from the base oil on to the steel surface and the activation energy of the interface material due to dislocation movement.It is shown that the change in entropy (ΔS) of the boundary lubricant is a controlling factor for effective lubrication. Limiting value of coverage for a particular value of change in entropy is necessary to prevent scuffing of steel surfaces. The study also reveals that a minimum value of concentration of polar additives is necessary for effective boundary lubrication. These results help to elucidate the mechanism of scuffing of the steel surfaces.     

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.     

Surface and sub-micron sub-surface evolution of Al390-T6 undergoing tribological testing under submerged lubrication conditions in the presence of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> refrigerant

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) with its environmental benefits is considered a good replacement for commonly used synthetic refrigerants. In this study, the surface and sub-surface changes in simulated CO₂ environment during the initial or transient stages of a sliding contacting interface were investigated. Pin-on-disk configurations involving Al390-T6 disks in contact with 52100 steel pins were used in controlled tribological experiments using a High Pressure Tribometer. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of CO₂ refrigerant, comparative tribological experiments involving a conventional refrigerant and different commonly used lubricants were initially performed in a step-increasing load manner under submerged lubricated conditions. Subsequent detailed experiments for investigating the surface and sub-surface changes were performed in the presence of CO₂ refrigerant and the best performing lubricant, polyalkyline glycol. Burnishing was observed on the surfaces during the transient (evolutionary) stage, which indicated asperity contacts due to the breaking of the elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication film. In order to quantify the surface and sub-micron sub-surface changes that occurred during this transient stage of tribological operation, several analytical tasks were performed, which involved the measurements of nanomechanical properties, chemical compositions of the topmost 200 nm surface layer, and surface roughness. Such studies of detailed evolutionary changes that occurred during the transient stage of a tribopair shed light on the complex interactions between surface and sub-surface changes that determine whether successful tribological conditions will eventually be achieved. Based on the analyses presented in this work, it is concluded that CO₂ is a viable refrigerant from a tribology point of view.     

The Formation of Tribofilms of MoS2 Nanotubes on Steel and DLC-Coated Surfaces

Solid-lubricant nanoparticles as additives in oil provide good tribological properties based on the physical lubrication mechanisms in the contact. For this reason, they are strong candidates for use in the lubrication of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, which only poorly interact with the traditional, chemically based additives. In this study, we focused on how a tribofilm formed from MoS₂ nanotubes is related to the tribological properties of these nanotubes, and then, we analysed such a tribofilm on steel and DLC-coated surfaces using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. We demonstrated that when using oil containing MoS₂ nanoparticles, the formation of a tribofilm is a key factor in decreasing the friction for the steel and DLC-coated contacts. The major difference between the steel and the DLC contacts is the extent to which the MoS₂-based tribofilm covers the surface, which is 20 % in the case of the DLC/DLC contacts, but almost 40 % in the case of the steel/steel contacts. Moreover, the MoS₂-based tribofilm was found to be more oxidized on the DLC surface than on the steel surface. Nevertheless, we found that the chemical and functional properties of the MoS₂-based tribofilm are very similar, or even the same, for both the steel and DLC-coated surfaces. No direct evidence of any chemical reactions between the MoS₂ and the steel or DLC coating was observed.