Influence of intrinsic and extrinsic conditions on the tribological characteristics of diamond-like carbon coatings: A review

Abstract

Tribological performance of industrial applications involving boundary lubrication regime can be improved by depositing surface coatings such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the interacting surfaces. DLCs are considered as hard coatings with unique combination of properties which results in minimizing the friction induced energy and material losses especially under starved lubrication conditions. In spite of high wear-resistance and ultralow friction coefficients, there are a lot of factors that can directly influence the tribological characteristics of DLC coatings. Although, many studies were conducted to comprehend the effects of intrinsic/extrinsic conditions on tribological behavior of these coatings, still there is a lack of understanding due to contradictory remarks. Therefore, there is a need to rearrange the published data in an organized manner for logical continuation of research. In this paper, a brief introduction of DLC coatings is presented followed by detailed discussion on conditions that can directly influence their tribological properties.

Perspectives of the Friction Mechanism of Hydrogenated Diamond-Like Carbon Film in Air by Varying Sliding Velocity

“…Over the past few decades, energy and material losses caused by friction and wear in machine elements have given rise to the huge economic and environmental burdens for all countries [1]. Therefore, lots of low-friction materials, coatings, and lubricants have been prepared and discovered to regulate the process of friction and wear in machine elements [2,3]. Among the various materials, diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is considered to be one of the most promising solid lubrication materials for industry applications owing to its outstanding physical, chemical, tribological, and optical properties [4][5][6][7].…”

Investigation of the tribochemical interactions of a tungsten-doped diamond-like carbon coating (W-DLC) with formulated palm trimethylolpropane ester (TMP) and polyalphaolefin (PAO)

“…It is widely accepted that graphitization adversely affects the structural integrity of the DLC-coatings due to which the so graphitic layer becomes more vulnerable to excessive wearing and transfers to the counterbody, resulting in the deteriorated wear performance of the contact. 75 As a result of graphitization and material transfer, high wear coefficients were observed in the W-DLC/cast iron contact as compared to those in the symmetrical W-DLC contact (Fig. 7).…”

Attempting AG-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Film to Improve Seal Performance of Hydraulic Servo-Actuator

“…The hardness of these contaminant particles has a substantial effect on the system wear. A positive correlation between the hardness of the contaminants and the surface wear is previously proposed [12]. According to this correlation, the material may undergo surface wear to a low extent when the contaminant particles are lower or equal in hardness compared to the surface material [13].…”