Tribological Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the superhard anti-wear diamond-like carbon coatings produced by Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (PACVD) and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). The a-C:H and a-C:H:W coatings were deposited on steel elements operating under friction conditions. The analysis involved comparing the tribological properties of coated metal elements with those of uncoated elements. It was essential to analyze how the coating composition and structure influence the tribological behaviour of elements under dry and lubrication friction conditions. The coating structure was analyzed by observing the topography of the surface and the cross-sections using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results were employed to determine the elemental composition and thickness of the coatings. The tribological tests were performed applying a ball-on-disc tribometer and using a pin-on-plate tribometer. The tribological properties were analyzed also in a micro scale using a microtribometer. Compared with the substrate material - steel, the diamond-like carbon coatings showed lower linear wear, lower friction coefficient and higher hardness.

Research on the wear of novel sets of piston rings in a diesel locomotive engine

“…Based on research, among others, presented in [21], it was found that the coefficient of friction of an element with a coating made in a technology based on diamondcontaining layers is lower, especially in cooperation with steel and cast iron surfaces. Another extremely important feature of these coatings is wear resistance, manifested by its lower value, which was also found based on the presented research [14]. The use of these coatings becomes particularly important in the event of an intensification of loads, which is, for example, the case in the drive engines of diesel locomotives and inland waterway vessels.…”

Properties of TiO2 Coatings Obtained by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on the Ti13Nb13Zr Titanium Alloy

“…The adhesion of the coating to the Ti13Nb13Zr substrate was investigated using a scratch test. The test was carried out using an Anton Paar NHT 3 The test consisted in scratching the surface of the specimen with a Sphero-conical diamond indenter with a rounded radius of 2 µm at a load linearly increasing from 0.03 to 5 mN, a loading rate of 20 mN/min and a scratch length of 3 mm.…”

“…Therefore, for many years, research has been conducted on surface modification of biomaterials to protect metal ions from entering the patient's body. The most commonly considered are various types of surface layers and coatings produced by physical and chemical methods [2][3][4][5][6].…”

Recent Progress on the Tribology of Pure/Doped Diamond-like Carbon Coatings and Ionic Liquids

“…In their investigation, Madej et al [174] explored the tribological properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, specifically a-C:H and a-C:H:W, fabricated using plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods. These superhard anti-wear coatings were applied to steel elements and subjected to scrutiny under both dry and ionic liquid lubricated conditions.…”