High-speed tribology of PFPEs with different functional groups and molecular weights coated on DLC

In this article, we study the friction and wear durability of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) with different functional groups and molecular weights (MW) for a range of disk rotational speeds (500–7200 rpm or 1.2–17.33 m/s). A 4 mm diameter silicon nitride ball under a normal load of 4 g was employed as slider against PFPE lubricated diamond like carbon (DLC) film on magnetic hard disk. The coefficient of friction increases with increasing speeds, to certain extent, but it decreases for the higher speeds. At very high speeds, the fluctuations in the coefficient of friction of low MW PFPEs were larger than those of high MW PFPEs. The optical microscope image of the ball after sliding showed that evaporation might have occurred more easily in low MW than in high MW when sliding speed was increased due to the frictional heat generated at the interface. The wear lives of Z-lube (carboxyl group at both ends) and Z-dol are significantly higher than AS1 (alkoxy silano group at both ends) at low speed (1.2 m/s). In comparison to low MW PFPEs, high MW PFPEs show better wear durability at higher rotational speeds.