Effects of fragments on W-DLC films properties under boundary lubrication condition in the friction system

Abstract Effects of film fragments in the friction system on friction and wear properties of tungsten doped diamond-like carbon films （W-DLC） were studied in the condition of boundary lubrication. It could be observed that the average friction coefficient was increased after introducing film fragments into the friction system, where these film fragments can accelerate the breaking of the extreme thin oil film which could separate two friction surfaces when the system is under boundary lubrication conditions. The increasing friction load can accelerate the friction ehenfieal reaction on the friction interface and lead to the crushing effect on film fragments, which decreased the friction coefficient of friction system. It was also found that the wear width, depth, and volume of the film increased by introducing film fragments and applying great load.

Friction and Wear Performance of Boron Doped, Undoped Microcrystalline and Fine Grained Composite Diamond Films

Chemical vapor deposition （CVD） diamond films have attracted more attentions due to their excellent mechanical properties. Whereas as-fabricated traditional diamond films in the previous studies don＇t have enough adhesion or surface smoothness, which seriously impact their friction and wear performance, and thus limit their applications under extremely harsh conditions. A boron doped, undoped microcrystalline and fine grained composite diamond （BD-UM-FGCD） film is fabricated by a three-step method adopting hot filament CVD （HFCVD） method in the present study, presenting outstanding comprehensive performance, including the good adhesion between the substrate and the underlying boron doped diamond （BDD） layer, the extremely high hardness of the middle undoped microcrystalline diamond （UMCD） layer, as well as the low surface roughness and favorable polished convenience of the surface fine grained diamond （FGD） layer. The friction and wear behavior of this composite film sliding against low-carbon steel and silicon nitride balls are studied on a ball-on-plate rotational friction tester. Besides, its wear rate is further evaluated under a severer condition using an inner-hole polishing apparatus, with low-carbon steel wire as the counterpart. The test results show that the BD-UM-FGCD film performs very small friction coefficient and great friction behavior owing to its high surface smoothness, and meanwhile it also has excellent wear resistance because of the relatively high hardness of the surface FGD film and the extremely high hardness of the middle UMCD film. Moreover, under the industrial conditions for producing low-carbon steel wires, this composite film can sufficiently prolong the working lifetime of the drawing dies and improve their application effects. This research develops a novel composite diamond films owning great comprehensive properties, which have great potentials as protecting coatings on working surfaces of the wear-resistant and anti-frictional components.

Fatigue crack growth behaviour of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy joints

The aim of the present work is to evaluate the fatigue crack growth behaviour of 12 mm thick AA 7075-T651 aluminium alloy plates joined by FSW. Fatigue crack growth test was carried out on center cracked tensile (CCT) specimens extracted from the FSW joints and unwelded parent metal. Transverse tensile properties of the unwelded parent metal and welded joints were evaluated. Microstructures of the welded joints were analyzed using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the fracture surfaces. It was found that the ΔKcr of the welded joint is reduced by 10×10-3 MPa·m1/2 in comparison with the unwelded parent metal. Hence, the fatigue life of the friction stir welded AA 7075-T651aluminium alloy joints is appreciably lower than that of the unwelded parent metal, which is attributed to the dissolution of precipitates in the weld region during friction stir welding.

Friction Behaviors of the Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition Diamond Film under Ambient Air and Water Lubricating Conditions

The friction behavior of the hot filament chemical vapor deposition（HFCVD） diamond film plays a critical role on its applications in mechanical fields and largely depends on the environment. Studies on the tribological properties of HFCVD diamond films coated on Co-cemented tungsten carbide （WC-Co） substrates are rarely reported in available literatures, especially in the water lubricating conditions. In this paper, conventional microcrystalline diamond（MCD） and fine-grained diamond（FGD） films are deposited on WC-Co substrates and their friction properties are evaluated on a reciprocating ball-on-plate tribometer, where they are brought to slide against ball-bearing steel and copper balls in dry and water lubricating conditions. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, atomic force microscopy（AFM）, surface profilometer and Raman spectroscopy are adopted to characterize as-deposited diamond films; SEM and energy dispersive X-ray（EDX） are used to investigate the worn region on the surfaces of both counterface balls and diamond films. The research results show that the friction coefficient of HFCVD diamond films always starts with a high initial value, and then gradually transits to a relative stable state. For a given counterface and a sliding condition, the FGD film presents lower stable friction coefficients by 0.02-0.03 than MCD film. The transferred materials adhered on sliding interface are supposed to have predominate effect on the friction behaviors of HFCVD diamond films. Furthermore, the effect of water lubricating on reducing friction coefficient is significant. For a given counterpart, the stable friction coefficients of MCD or FGD films reduce by about 0.07-0.08 while sliding in the water lubricating condition, relative to in dry sliding condition. This study is beneficial for widespread applications of HFCVD diamond coated mechanical components and adopting water lubricating system, replacing ofoil lubricating, in a variety of mechanical processing fields to implement the green production process.

FRICTION PROPERTIES OF OIL-INFILTRATED POROUS AAO FILM ON AN ALUMINUM SUBSTRATE

The porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film on a pure aluminum substrate was pre pared by a two-step anodization in a 0.3M oxalic acid solution and pore-enlargem ent treatment in the phosphoric acid aqueous solution at 50℃. The diameter of h ighly ordered pore on the AAO film was about 90nm, and the thickness of the AAO film was 3μm. The mineral oil was infiltrated in the ordered nanometer sized po res of AAO film on an aluminum substrate due to the capillarity effect. The fric tion coefficient was measured using a ball-on-disk tribotester. The tests were c onducted at loads range from 490 to 2450mN and at sliding velocities between 0.1 and 0.5m·s-1. Oil infiltration in porous AAO film modified friction and consid erably improved the wear resistance. As compared to the porous AAO film, the oil -infiltrated specimen had low friction coefficient. With increasing the applied load and sliding velocity, the friction coefficient of the oil-infiltrated film decreased. It indicates that the oil-infiltrated AAO film produced a new way to modify the friction and wear of aluminum alloy.

SYNTHESIS OF PERFLUORO-1-OCTANESULFONATED FULLERENE AND THE FRICTION PROPERTIES OF ITS THIN FILM

A star-shaped compound of perfluoro-1-octanesulfonated fullerene was synthesized. The measurement of the friction for its spin-coating film by friction force microscopy (FFM) reveals that the films possess lower friction force compared to that of the star-shaped C-60-polystyrene films.

Investigation on the Initial Stage of Film Growth in Situ

The initial stage of Ag film growth on Cu(100). Ta(100) and Ta(110) single crystals as well as YBaCuO on Si single crystal covered by Pd was investigated in situ by means of LAS 600 surface analysis system with a sputtering source in sample preparation chamber. The results show that the initial state for Ag / Cu(100) film growth is typical S-K model, for Ag / Ta(100) and Ag / Ta(110)they have the same S-K characteristics, but due to the different surface energies of two crystalline planes. there is some difference for Ag / Ta (100) and Ag / Ta(110). YBCO sputterjng process is rather complex and Cu is the first element appearing in the film.

Thin-film growth behavior of non-planar vanadium oxide phthalocyanine

The thin film properties of organic semiconductors are very important to the device performance.Herein,non-planar vanadyl phthalocyanine(VOPc)thin films grown on rigid substrates of indium tin oxide,silicon dioxide,and flexible substrate of kapton by organic molecular beam deposition under vacuum conditions are systematically studied via atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction.The results clearly reveal that the morphology and grain size are strongly dependent on the substrate temperature during the process of film deposition.Meanwhile,the VOPc films with the structure of phase I or phase II can be modulated via in situ annealing and post-annealing temperature.Furthermore,the crystalline structure and molecular orientation of vapor-deposited VOPc can be controlled using molecular template layer 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride(PTCDA),the VOPc film of which exhibits the phase I structure.The deep understanding of growth mechanism of non-planar VOPc film provides valuable information for controlling structure-property relationship and accelerates the application in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Influence of Polyalkylmethacrylate VII on Boundary Film Formation,Friction,Wear and Efficiency of Lubricants

Polyalkylmethacrylates(PAMAs) are well-known as viscosity index improvers and dispersant boosters.This paper shows that PAMAs are able to adsorb from oil solution on to metal surfaces,to produce thick,viscous boundary films.These films enhance lubricant film formation in slow speed and high temperature conditions and thus produce a significant reduction of friction.A systematic study of this phenomenon has made use of the highly flexible nature of PAMA chemistry.A range of dispersant and non-dispersant polymethacrylates has been synthesized.The influence of different functionalities,molecular weights and architectures on both boundary film formation and friction has been explored using optical interferometry and friction-speed charting.From the results, guidelines have been developed for designing PAMAs having optimal boundary lubricating properties.Through their ability to form boundary films PAMAs can significantly contribute to reduce wear in engine,gear and hydraulic lubrication.As a consequence of their viscometric and tribological performance PAMAs can furthermore improve fuel and energy efficiency in different,namely engine and hydraulic applications.Extensive work is currently conducted in the lubricant industry to develop engine oils with lower sulfur,phosphorus and metal content(low SAPS) and to optimize their frictional properties through the use of friction modifiers or synthetic base stocks.We have investigated the contribution of PAMA viscosity index improvers and boosters to improve fuel economy and to reduce wear levels.This paper reports our efforts to develop a new range of PAMAs that have been optimized in terms of composition,architecture,molecular weight and functionality and which can be used in low viscosity,low SAPS formulations to help meet the stringent requirements of modern engine oils.

Vacuum deposited film growth,morphology and interfacial electronic structures of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene(C8-BTBT)

Interfaces play critical roles in electronic devices and provide great diversity of film morphology and device performance.We retrospect the substrate mediated vacuum film growth of benchmark high mobility material 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene(C8-BTBT)and the interface electronic structures.The film growth of C8-BTBT molecules is diversified depending on the substrate-molecule and molecule-molecule interactions.On atomic smooth substrates C8-BTBT film grows in layer-by-layer mode while on coarse substrate it grows in islands mode.The initial molecular layer at dielectric,semiconductor and conductive substrates displays slight different lattice structure.The initial molecule orientation depends on the substrate and will gradually change to standing up configuration as in bulk phase.C8-BTBT behaves as electron donor when contacting with dielectric and stable conductive materials.This usually induces a dipole layer pointing to C8-BTBT and an upward bend bending in C8-BTBT side toward the interface.Although it is air stable,C8-BTBT is chemically reactive with some transition metals and compounds.The orientation change from lying down to standing up in the film usually leads to decrease of ionization potential.The article provides insights to the interface physical and chemical processes and suggestions for optimal design and fabrication of C8-BTBT based devices.

Thermal stability of electrodeposited nanocrystalline nickel assisted by flexible friction

Nanocrystalline nickel coating was prepared by flexible friction assisted electrodeposition technology in an additive-free Watts bath.The coating consists of massive equiaxial crystals with an average grain size of about 24 nm and exhibits a（111） preferred orientation.The differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） analysis of nanocrystalline nickel demonstrates that the peak temperature of rapid grain growth is about 285.4 °C,and the peak temperature of grain growth towards equilibrium is around 431.5 °C.The isochronous annealing results reveal that abnormal grain growth behavior is not observed in nanocrystalline nickel without sulfur-containing.The thermal stability of the deposition was improved due to its initial microstructure of the as-deposited nickel and a certain amount of annealing nano-twins with low-energy,which reduces the driving force for grain growth.Consequently,the coating shows a low residual tensile stress of about 50 MPa and a high microhardness of HV 400 at the annealing temperature of 450 °C.

Effects of Friction Heat on the Tribological Properties of the Woven Self-lubricating Liner

In the dry-sliding process of the woven self-lubricating liner which is used in the self-lubricating spherical plain bearing, the friction heat plays an important role in the tribological performances of the liner. It has important value to study on the relationship between tribological performances of the liner and the friction heat. Unforttmately, up to now, published work on this relationship is quite scarce. Therefore, the effect of friction heat on the tribological performances of the liner was investigated in the present work. The tribological behaviors of the liner were evaluated by using the high temperature end surface wear tester. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） was utilized to examine the morphologies of worn surfaces of the liner and study the failure modes. Differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） measurement and X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis were performed to study the behaviors of the wear debris. The temperature rise on the worn surface was calculated according to classical models. SEM observation shows that the dominating wear mechanism for the liner is mainly affected by friction shear force, contact pressure and friction heat. Higher fusion heat for the wear debris than that for the pure polytetrafluroethylene （PTFE） indicates that the PTFE is the main portion of the wear debris, and, the PTFE in the wear debris shows a higher crystallisation degree owing to the effects of friction shear force and the friction heat. Combining the calculated temperature rise results with the wear rate of the liner, it can be concluded that the effects of temperature rise o n the tribological performances of the liner become more obvious when the temperature rise exceeds the glass transition temperature （Tg） of the PTFE. The wear resistance of the liner deteriorates dramatically when the temperature rise approaches to the melting point （Ton） of the PTFE. The tribological performances of the liner can be improved when the temperature rise exceeds Tg but is far lower than Ton- The present study on the relationship between the temperature rise and the tribological performances of the liner may provide the basis for further understanding of the wear mechanisms of the liner as well as the relationship between the formation of the PTFE transfer film and the friction heat during the dry-sliding of the Finer.

Effect of corrosive environment on fatigue property and crack propagation behavior of Al 2024 friction stir weld

In this investigation, 2024 aluminium alloy plates were friction stir welded, a sequence of experiments was performedincluding fatigue and crack propagation tests in air, under pre-corrosion and in a 3.5% NaCl solution, in combination withfractography analyses of near-threshold region, Paris region and finial fracture region with the aid of scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. Results showed that the corrosive environment caused a dramatical decrease in fatigue lives of FS welds, the corrosionfatigue lives of FS welds were almost a half of those of the as-welded specimens. The crack growth rates in FS welds were higherthan their counterparts in base materials, under the corrosive environment, the crack growth rate differences between base materialsand FS welds become increasingly apparent with the increase of stress intensity factor range ΔK, but the pre-corrosion process hadlittle effect on the FS welds’ crack propagation behavior except for shortening the crack initiation lives greatly.

Effect of welding speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al−Mg−Mn−Zr−Ti alloy sheet during friction stir welding

Effects of welding speed on the microstructure evolution in the stir zone(SZ)and mechanical properties of the friction stir welding(FSW)joints were studied by OM,XRD,SEM,TEM,EBSD and tensile testing.Compared with the base metal(BM),an obviously fine dynamic recrystallization(DRX)microstructure occurs in the SZ and the DRX grain size decreases from 5.6 to 4.4μm with the increasing of welding speed.Fine DRX microstructure is mainly achieved by continuous dynamic recrystallization(CDRX)mechanism,strain induced boundary migration(SIBM)mechanism and particle stimulated nucleation(PSN)mechanism.Meanwhile,the geometric coalescence and the Burke−Turnbull mechanism are the main DRX grain growth mechanisms.Among all the welding speeds,the joint welded at rotation speed of 1500 r/min and welding speed of 75 mm/min has the greatest tensile properties,i.e.ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of(509±2)MPa,yield strength(YS)of(282±4)MPa,elongation(El)of(23±1)%,and the joint efficiency of 73%.

Frictional and Optical Properties of Diamond-Like-Carbon Coatings on Polycarbonate

In this work, diamond-like-carbon （DLC） films were deposited onto polycarbonate （PC） substrates by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced cheraical vapor deposition （RF PECVD）, and silicon films were prepared between DLC and PC substrates by magnetron sputtering deposition so as to improve the adhesion of the DLC films. The deposited films were investigated by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and Raman spectroscopy. Subsequently, the following frictional and optical properties of the films were measured： the friction coefficient by using a ball-on-disk tribometer, the scratch hardness by using a nano-indenter, the optical transmittance by using a UV/visible spectrometer. The effects of incident power upon the frictional and optical properties of the films were investigated. Films deposited at low incident powers showed large optical gaps, which decreased with increasing incident power. The optical properties of DLC films correlated to the sp^2 content of the coatings. High anti-scratch properties were obtained at higher values of incident power. The anti-scratch properties of DLC films correlated to the sp^3 content of the coatings.

Transitions in Wear and Friction of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Copper Matrix Composite Sliding Against AISI-1045 Steel

The friction and wear properties of carbon fiber reinforced copper matrix composite in dry sliding against AISI-1045 steel was evaluated by a block-on-ring test machine. It was shown that the low frictional factor and wear rate of the composite block could be maintained when pressure or velocity was below a certain value. But when the pressure or velocity exceeded the critical value, the friction factor and wear rate tended to increase rapidly with pressure and sliding velocity. The morphologies, elemental compositions, and surface profile of worn composite surfaces at different wear stages were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and profile-meter. It was found that low values of friction and wear were due to a thin solid film forming on the surface of the composite block which includes carbon and copper at a mild wear stage. The film could impede adhesion and provide some degree of self-lubrication. When the film included more metal elements and were damaged, severe wear happened, and the wear rate increased sharply. As a result, a transition diagram in friction and wear was constructed, which provided pressure and velocity conditions of change from mild wear and low friction to severe wear and high friction for the wear-resisting design.

Epitaxial growth of ultrathin gallium films on Cd(0001)

Growth and electronic properties of ultrathin Ga films on Cd(0001) are investigated by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) and density functional theory(DFT) calculations. It is found that Ga films exhibit the epitaxial growth with the pseudomorphic 1×1 lattice. The Ga islands deposited at 100 K show a ramified shape due to the suppressed edge diffusion and corner crossing. Furthermore, the majority of Ga islands reveal flat tops and a preferred height of three atomic layers, indicating the electronic growth at low temperature. Annealing to room temperature leads to not only the growth mode transition from electronic growth to conventional Stranski–Krastanov growth, but also the shape transition from ramified islands to smooth compact islands. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy(STS) measurements reveal that the Ga monolayer exhibits metallic behavior. DFT calculations indicate that all the interfacial Ga atoms occupy the energetically favorable hcp-hollow sites of the substrate. The charge density difference analysis demonstrates that the charge transfer from the Cd substrate to the Ga atoms is negligible, and there is weak interaction between Ga atoms and the Cd substrate. These results shall shed important light on fabrication of ultrathin Ga films on metal substrates with novel physical properties.

Inhibition of Abnormal Grain Growth in Stir Zone via In‑Situ Intermetallic Particle Formation During Friction Stir Welding of AA6061

Abnormal grain growth(AGG)has been widely observed in many friction stir welded(FSWed)joints during post-weld heat treatment(PWHT).The coarse grain structure not only reduces the strength of the joint but also limits its usage in superplastic forming.Several methods have been reported in previous studies to inhibit AGG,but all of them can only mitigate AGG.Complete inhibition of AGG was not achieved.In the current research,AGG was widely observed during the PWHT of friction stir welded AA6061.Multi-pass FSW enhanced the thermal stability of the as-welded grain structure but did not eliminate the occurrence of AGG.A new welding method was developed with the ball-milled Al–Ti powder mixture introduced into the stir zone and proved effective in inhibiting AGG in FSWed AA6061 during PWHT.The adoption of 5-pass FSW with an alternate rotation mode succeeded in producing an AGG-free sample.Microscopic characterizations conducted in the stir zone showed an evolution of Al–Ti powder mixture into different particle formations and Al3Ti new phase.Quantitative analysis of the second phase particles(SPPs)in the stir zone confirmed the increases in both particle number and average size.The quantitative results fit well with Humphreys’grain growth model,which theoretically explains the mechanism for AGG inhibition,i.e.,the significantly enhanced particle pinning effect.

Investigation of surface textures deterioration on pavement skid-resistance using hysteresis friction models and numerical simulation method

Many rubber friction theories or some method combined theories and field-experiments are employed to evaluate the pavement skid-resistance deterioration due to the evolution of surface textures.However,these methods are difficult to be implemented in the analysis of situations with multi-factor coupling and some extreme conditions.This study developed a framework to evaluate the skid-resistance deterioration of asphalt pavements.In this framework,the portable laser scanning was used to create the digital worn pavement model,and a hydroplaning finite element(FE)model for these digital worn pavements was constructed to evaluate coupling effects of the texture evolution and factors of slip ratio,slip angle,velocity and water film on braking-cornering characteristics of tire.In this study,the deterioration of skid-resistance of five typical asphalt pavements due the surface texture wear was systematically investigated by this framework.Compared with previous works,this study established the rubber friction models for each digital worn pavement considering the energy hysteresis of rubber and the power spectrum density of surface texture.And the rubber friction model was used to define the interaction behaviors between the tire and corresponding wore pavements in the FE hydroplaning model,rather than using an empirical friction model or a fixed friction coefficient.

A novel UHMWPE composite with low friction coefficient for long-term ice sliding

Low friction ice sliding interfaces were critical for ski performance optimization.Traditional fluorinated ski waxes have attracted considerable attention for enhancing the hydrophobicity,anti-wearing,and oxidation resistance of ski–ice base.However,the toxicity and complexity of the waxing process limited batch manufacturing of low-cost and non-toxic ski–ice base,what is more,the wax covering on the base wore and failed during skiing due to the friction between ski and ice.Herein,we demonstrated a novel ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE)composite that could maintain a low coefficient of friction(COF)with about 0.026 for at least 160 min when skiing on the ice.Microcapsule(MS)could release liquid(liquid paraffin(LP)).The released LP further enhanced the hydrophobicity of UHMWPE’s surfaces when friction occurred,which would maintain the stability and durability of the water film,and achieved superior and long-lasting friction resistance.Compared with other microcapsules with lower hydrophobic core,microcapsules with LP performed the best in reducing the friction of ski base from 0.126 to 0.024.Meanwhile,the COF of the surface kept at about 0.02 even after 12 rapid temperature changes.The presented UHMWPE composite of encapsulated liquids showed great potential and broad application owing to its simplicity and efficiency in winter sports.