Characterization and Tribological Behavior of Electroless-Deposited Ni-P-PTFE Films on NBR Substrates for Dynamic Contact Applications

Abstract

The use of rubber in dynamic contacts often results in severe degradation and wear of the rubber surface, which is why dynamic rubber seal contacts are usually oil lubricated to ensure their functionality. However, the increasing demand for more convenient and environmentally friendly sealing solutions has prompted the development of dry low-friction rubber coatings. In this work, and for the first time, Ni-P and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles were co-deposited by electroless plating on Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), as a low-cost solution to improve the NBR tribological behavior. A cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), was added to the plating bath to ensure a homogeneous and efficient incorporation of PTFE into the Ni-P. The optimized PTFE incorporation reached 6.8%, and the composite coating adhesion to NBR was 20% higher than that of nickel-phosphorous (Ni-P) films. The tribological properties of the coatings evaluated by pin-on-disk tests showed a marginal decrease in the coefficient of friction (CoF) (10%, 1 N load), compared to that of Ni-P. However, the tested PTFE-based coatings displayed significantly smoother surfaces with less debris and cracks, clearly demonstrating the benefits of the PTFE in terms of wear resistance for loads up to 5 N.

Investigation of Wear Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Electrodeposited Ni-P-PTFE Nanocomposite Coating on Mg-Li alloy

“…Figure 3 shows the XRD results of Ni-P coating and Ni-P-PTFE composite coating. It can be seen from the figure that the diffraction peaks of Ni-P-PTFE nanocomposite coating show a diffraction peak of (111) and characteristic peak of PTFE, which is similar to previous research [11]. Moreover, the diffraction peaks appear to be broadened.…”

Preparation of a Ni-P-nanoPTFE Composite Coating on the Surface of GCr15 Steel for Spinning Rings via a Defoamer and Transition Layer and Its Wear and Corrosion Resistance

“…Additionally, the Ni-P-nanoPTFE composite coating, deposited after being incorporated into the coating, has self-lubricating properties. Many researchers have successfully prepared Ni-P-nanoPTFE composite coatings on metals and nonmetals and studied the effects of plating solution components, process parameters, dispersion methods, and PTFE content on the wear and corrosion resistance of the coatings [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The recent research mainly focuses on the performance of combining Ni-P-nanoPTFE composite coatings with other coatings [ 22 ] or how to increase the PTFE particle content in Ni-P-nanoPTFE composite coatings on substrates in a short time [ 23 ]; however, the research on how to ensure the uniform dispersion of nano-PTFE particles in Ni-P-nanoPTFE composite coatings and reduce the occurrence of missing plating is not perfect.…”

Influence of Dispersed Phase Content on the Mechanical Properties of Electroless Nanocomposite Ni-P/Si3N4 and Hybrid Ni-P/Si3N4/Graphite Layers Deposited on the AW-7075 Alloy

“…Many studies prove and indicate [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] that electroless nickel and boron layers can be successfully applied on a wide variety of materials and are among the best solutions to increase the resistance of the surface layer to abrasive wear and scuffing. In addition to their high hardness and good anti-wear properties, such layers also have good anti-corrosion and adhesion properties, which are particularly important in the areological system.…”