Oil‐Soluble Polymer Brush Grafted Nanoparticles as Effective Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

The development of high performance lubricants has been driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. Herein, we demonstrate oil‐soluble polymer brush‐grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil‐miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush‐grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. These hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at ?20, 22, and 100 °C for ≥55 days. High‐contact stress ball‐on‐flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 °C showed that addition of 1 wt % of hairy NPs into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40 %) and wear volume (up to ≈90 %). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction.     

Effects of UV irradiation on tribological properties of nano‐TiO2 thin films

One‐layer and two‐layer nano‐TiO₂ thin films were prepared on the surface of common glass by sol–gel processing. Water contact angle, surface morphology, tribological properties of the films before and after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation were investigated using DSA100 drop shape analyzer, scanning probe microscopy (SPM), SEM and universal micro‐materials tester (second generation) (UMT‐2MT) friction and wear tester, respectively. The stored films markedly resumed their hydrophilicity after UV irradiation. But UV irradiation worsened tribological properties of the films. After the film was irradiated by UV, the friction coefficient between the film and GCr15 steel ball increased about 10–50% and its wear life shortened about 20–90%. Abrasive wear, brittle break and adherence wear are the failure mechanisms of nano‐TiO₂ thin films. It was believed that UV irradiation increased surface energy of the film and then aggravated adherence wear of the film at initial stage of friction process leading to severe brittle fracture and abrasive wear. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative study of the effects of nano‐sized and micro‐sized CF and PTFE on the thermal and tribological properties of PEEK composites

The tribological characteristics of PEEK composites fretting against GCr 15 steel were investigated by a SRV‐IV oscillating reciprocating ball‐on‐disk tribometer. In order to clarify the effect of type and size of fillers on the properties of PEEK composites, nano‐sized and micro‐sized CF and PTFE fillers were added to the PEEK matrix. The thermal conductivity, hardness, and fretting wear properties of PEEK composites reinforced by CF or PTFE were comparatively studied. The results showed that the type and size of the fillers have an important effect on both the friction coefficient and wear rate, by affecting their thermal conductivity, hardness, as well as the surface areas of their transfer films. In comparison, the effect on improving the tribological properties of micro‐sized CF was superior to that of nano‐sized CF, while the effect of nano‐sized PTFE was superior to that of micro‐sized PTFE. Considering the acceptable friction coefficient and wear rate of the composite under the fretting wear test, it seemed that 4% nCF, 20% mCF, 2% nPTFE and 10% mPTFE were desired additive proportions. And it also can be found that during the fretting wear test, the abrasive and adhesive wear resulted in accumulative debris at the contacting surface. The transfer films made of debris were formed on the counterfaces.     

Effects of bias voltage on structure and properties of TiAl‐doped a‐C:H films prepared by magnetron sputtering

Hydrogenated TiAl‐doped a‐C:H films were deposited on Si substrates by middle frequency magnetron sputtering TiAl target in argon and methane gas mixture atmosphere. Effects of substrate bias voltage on structure and properties of the films, such as the surface morphology, hardness, chemical nature and bond types, were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), XPS, Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation. The friction and wear behaviors of the deposited films were characterized on an UMT‐2MT tribometer. SEM was utilized to analyze the wear scar on steel balls and debris after sliding on the deposited films under dry friction conditions. The results demonstrated that the film deposited at ? 100 V exhibited low friction coefficient which is attributed to the easier formation of graphitized transfer layer. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative study of microstructure and tribological behavior of TiC/a‐C:H and a‐C:H coatings in a sand‐dust environment

TiC/a‐C:H and a‐C:H nanocomposite coatings were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates using magnetron sputtering process. A comparative study was made on their composition and microstructure by Raman spectroscopy and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The tribological properties of two types of carbon‐based coatings were investigated by pin‐on‐disc tribometer under the sand‐dust conditions concerning the influence of applied load, amount of sand and sand particle sizes. The results show that these carbon‐based coatings exhibited high tribological performance with low friction coefficient and wear rate under the sand‐dust environments. However, the TiC/a‐C:H coatings exhibit relatively higher fluctuant friction coefficient as well as higher wear rate in comparison with the a‐C:H coatings under sand‐dust environments. The formation of nanocrystalline hard TiC phase distributed in amorphous carbon matrix decreased the residual stress but significantly increased the hardness and Young's modulus of TiC/a‐C:H coatings, and consequently caused a relatively higher abrasive and fatigue wear loss under the sand‐dust conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of temperature on friction and wear behaviors of polyimide (PI)‐based solid–liquid lubricating materials

The tribological properties of polyimide (PI) under four oils (including two perfluoropolyether oils and two silicon oils) lubricated conditions were comparatively investigated at room temperature in vacuum and Fomblin M30 and chlorine‐containing silicon oil were selected to study the friction and wear behaviors of PI‐based solid–liquid lubricants against steel at different temperatures in vacuum. Significant improvement in tribological performance of PI was found under oil‐lubricated conditions. The friction coefficient increased as the test temperature decreased for the mobility of liquid lubricant was limited at lower temperatures, while the wear rate exhibited distinct rule. Besides, no tribochemical reaction was detected at the contact surface of PI and chlorine‐containing silicon oil. However, the –CF₃ and fluorinated C? O groups were detected on the worn tracks of PI/Fomblin M30 by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which indicated that tribochemical reaction happened to PI and Fomblin M30 under high temperature as well as the simulation of friction heat. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wear behavior of wood–plastic composites in alternate simulated sea water and acid rain corrosion conditions

To investigate the effect of alternate simulated sea water and acid rain corrosion on the wear resistance properties of wood–plastic composites, sorghum straw fiber-reinforced polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) composites prepared through extrusion molding were studied. The most detrimental alternating corrosion parameters were evaluated with the orthogonal design method, and the samples were then processed considering superimposed corrosion with the worst parameters. The results show that the worst alternating corrosion parameters were: sea water salinity 3.5% × sea water temperature 55 °C + acid rain pH 2.5 × acid rain temperature 55 °C. Longer alternating corrosion periods resulted in worse physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the SPVC composites, a PVC matrix that was more easily softened in the frictional environment, and fibers more easily pulled-out to form abrasive particles. Debris of broken or pulled-out fibers moving with high-speed in a high-temperature and high-load frictional contact environment can cause severe abrasive wear.     

Poly(3-octylthiophene) and polystyrene blends thermally treated as coatings for corrosion protection of stainless steel 304

The effect of thermal annealing of poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) and polystyrene (PS) blend coatings on the corrosion inhibition of stainless steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution was investigated. P3OT was synthesized by direct oxidation of the 3-octylthiophene monomer with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) as oxidant. Stainless steel electrodes with mirror finish were coated with P3OT/PS blend by drop-casting technique. In order to study the temperature effect on the function like physical barrier against the corrosive species of P3OT/PS polymeric blend, the coatings were thermally annealed at three different temperatures (55?°C, 80?°C, and 100?°C). The corrosion behavior of P3OT/PS-coated stainless steel was investigated in 0.5 M NaCl at room temperature, by using potentiodynamic polarization curves, linear polarization resistance (LPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The LPR values indicated that, at 100?°C, P3OT/PS coatings showed a better protection of the 304 stainless steel in 0.5 M NaCl; the corrosion rate diminished in two orders of magnitude with regard to the bare stainless steel. The superficial morphology of the coatings before and after the corrosive environment was researched by atomic force microscopy, optic microscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy. Morphological study showed that the increased temperature benefited the integration of the two polymeric phases, which improved the barrier properties of the coatings. The coating/metal adhesion and the coating thickness were evaluated. The temperature increases the adhesion degree coating/substrate; thus, the coating annealed at 100?°C showed the best adhesion.     

Preparation and properties of Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si3N4 electroless composite coatings

Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si₃N₄ composite coating was successfully fabricated on aluminum alloys by electroless plating in this work. The surface and cross‐sectional morphologies, composition, microstructure, microhardness, friction and wear behavior of deposits were investigated with SEM, EDS, XRD, Vickers hardness and high‐speed reciprocating friction, respectively. It was found that a Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si₃N₄ composite coating on aluminum alloy substrate is uniform and compact. The existence of nano‐sized Si₃N₄ particles in the Ni–Co–P alloy matrix causes a rougher surface with a granular appearance, and increases the microhardness but decreases the friction coefficients and wear rate of electroless coatings. Meanwhile, the effects of heat treatment at 200, 300, 400 and 500 °C for 1 h on the hardness and tribological properties were researched. It is revealed that both of the microhardness and tribological properties of Ni–Co–P coatings and Ni–Co–P/Si₃N₄ composite coatings increase with the increase of heating temperature in the range of 200–400 °C, but show different behavior for the two coatings after annealing at 500 °C. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of porous collagen/chitosan scaffolds with controlling microstructure for dermal equivalent

Two sets of homemade apparatus have been utilized to fabricate collagen/chitosan porous membranes by quenching its acetic solution and subsequently extracting the solvent with ethanol. The influence of chitosan concentration on the surface morphology of the collagen/chitosan membranes was studied using a quenching cold plate (apparatus 1). The pore size was enlarged along with an increase in the chitosan content, accompanied with the emergence of a sheet‐like microstructure. Due to the large thermal conductivity of the membrane‐forming platform (stainless steel), collagen/chitosan membranes prepared using apparatus 1 at freezing temperature between ?60 to ?20 °C present similar pore size (2–4 nm) and surface morphology. However, a large difference in pore size is generated using apparatus 2 (membrane preparation in a cold ethanol bath) and using a membrane‐forming platform of poor thermal conductivity (polymethylmethacrylate), e.g. ～10 to 20 μm at freezing temperature of ?60 to ?40 °C, and 265 μm at ?20 °C accompanied with the transformation from fiber‐ to sheet‐dominated morphology. The spongy collagen/chitosan membranes with pore sizes ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers and porosity higher than 95%, which could be used as dermal regeneration template, have thus been fabricated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The structure and tribological properties of aluminum/carbon nanocomposite thin films synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering

Hydrogenated nanocomposite aluminum/carbon thin films (Al/a‐C:H) were fabricated on stainless steel and silicon wafer substrates via unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering from an Al target in CH₄/Ar plasma. The composition and structure of Al/a‐C:H films were investigated by high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), XPS and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Nanoindenter, interferometer and ball‐on‐disc tribometer were carried out to evaluate the hardness, internal stress and tribological properties of Al/a‐C:H films. HRTEM observations confirmed that the metallic Al nanocrystallites were uniformly dispersed in the amorphous carbon matrix. XPS and Raman analyses indicated that the sp² content increased with the increase of Al content in the films. Nanoindenter and interferometer tests exhibited that the uniform incorporation of Al nanocrystallites can diminish drastically the magnitude of internal stress with maintaining the higher hardness of as‐deposited films. Especially, the ball‐on‐disc tribometer measurements revealed that the nanocomposite film with 2.3 at.% Al content exhibited relatively better wear resistance and self‐lubrication performance with a friction coefficient of 0.06 and wear rate of 3.1 × 10^?16 m³/ N·m under ambient air, which can be attributed to the relatively higher hardness, the formation of continuous graphitized transfer film on counterface and the reduced reaction of oxygen with carbon. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of novel sulfonated polyimides containing 1,5‐naphthylene moieties

A series of novel sulfonated polyimides (equivalent weight per sulfonic acid = 310–744 g/equiv) containing 10–70 mol % 1,5‐naphthylene moieties were synthesized as potential electrolyte materials for high‐temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The polycondensation of 1,4,5,8‐naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4′‐diamino‐2,2′‐biphenyldisulfonic acid, and 1,5‐diaminonaphthalene gave the title polymer electrolytes. The polyimide electrolytes were high‐molecular‐weight (number‐average molecular weight = 36.0–350.7 × 10³ and weight‐average molecular weight = 70.4–598.5 × 10³) and formed flexible and tough films. The thermal properties (decomposition temperature > 260 °C, no glass‐transition temperature), stability to oxidation, and water absorption were analyzed and compared with those of perfluorosulfonic acid polymers. The polyimide containing 20 mol % 1,5‐naphthylene moieties showed higher proton conductivity (0.3 S cm^?1) at 120 °C and 100% relative humidity than perfluorosulfonic acid polymers. The temperature and humidity dependence of the proton conductivity was examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3901–3907, 2003     

The effect of interface electrostatic interaction based on acid–base theory on friction behavior

Fluorine‐containing amorphous carbon films [fluoring‐containing diamond‐like carbon (F‐DLC)] were fabricated on Si wafer by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (dc‐PECVD) technique using CF₄ and Ar as gas sources, confirmed by XPS and Raman analyses. The friction tests were carried out on a rotating ball‐on‐disk apparatus in high vacuum atmosphere (≤5.0 × 10^?4 Pa) at the load of 0.5 N selecting glass (mainly containing silicon–oxygen tetrahedron structure) and Al₂O₃ with the same hardness and surface roughness as the counterpart balls. The results indicate that glass/F‐DLC results in lower friction coefficient of 0.14 than that of the Al₂O₃/F‐DLC (0.20). At the same time, no wear was occurred, and the transfer layer was not formed on the counterpart ball for glass/F‐DLC, while the wear of Al₂O₃/F‐DLC is slightly larger than that of glass/F‐DLC. However, just like the glass ball, there is no formation of transfer layer on the Al₂O₃ ball surface. Furthermore, the chemical state of fluorine in the film after friction, which mainly existed in the form of the C–CF and C–F bonds, did not change compared with the F‐DLC film, while the fluorine content has changed significantly. As a result, it is assumed that interface electrostatic interaction based on acid–base theory plays an extremely important role in the process of friction. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface modification and wear test of carbon steel by plasma electrolytic nitrocarburizing

Plasma electrolytic nitrocarburizing (PEN/C) was applied to the surface of carbon steel under the boiling condition of saturated urea electrolyte. In addition to the general effect of the bath temperature, different applied voltages and processing times were also considered in this new process. Optical and scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, microhardness and pin‐on‐disc wear tests were used to characterize the PEN/C‐treated surfaces. A mixture of θ‐(Fe₃C) and ε‐(Fe_2–3N) was found in the compound layers. At certain conditions, dense surface layers with minimum porosity were observed at the top of the samples. The boiling condition resulted in special character of the compound layers on the surface. The layers consisted of some irregularities grown inward the samples andaffected the characteristics of the surface layers. The microhardness of the PEN/C‐treated layers increased up to 1280 HV0.1, which was 3 to 4 times higher than that for untreated material and higher than that obtained by other investigators (750 HV0.1). PEN/C decreased the wear loss of carbon steel significantly due to the change of the adhesive wear of untreated material to the abrasive mode of treated surfaces. The major advantage of this technique was a higher growth rate of the nitrocarburized layers and a more significant improvement in the tribological performance of the treated samples if compared to similarly oriented surface treatments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tribological behaviour of nanostructured Ti-C:H coatings for biomedical applications

The development of a mechanically stable, functionally graded Ti-doped a-C:H interface layer in combination with a functional a-C:H coating requires a reduction of the brittle phases which induce generally problems in the transitions from Ti to TiC/a-C:H. The core objective of this study was to develop an optimum interlayer between the substrate and the functional top layer for biomedical applications, namely for tooth implants. Since the interlayer may be exposed to the sliding process, in the case of local failure of the top layer it has to fulfil the same criteria: biocompatibility, high wear resistance and low friction.The functional Ti-C:H layers with thickness in the range 2.5–3.5 μm were deposited by a magnetron sputtering/PECVD hybrid process by sputtering a Ti-target in a C₂H₂ + Ar atmosphere in dc discharge regime. The sets of coating samples were prepared by varying the C and H concentrations controlled by the C₂H₂ flow during the deposition process. The tribological properties were evaluated on a pin-on-disc tribometer at room temperature (RT) and at 100 °C using 440C balls with a diameter of 6 mm. The tests at 100 °C were performed to investigate the effect of the sterilization temperature on the tribological properties and the coating lifetime as well. The tribological performance was examined with respect to the friction coefficient, the wear rates of the coating and the counter-parts and the analysis of the wear debris. The Ti/C ratio decreased almost linearly from 4.5 to 0.1 with increasing C₂H₂ flow; the hydrogen content showed a minimum of 5 at.% at C₂H₂ flow of 30 sccm, while for lower flows it was about 10 at.%. The coatings could be divided into three groups based on the C₂H₂ flow: (i) 10–15 sccm, exhibiting severe abrasive damage during the sliding tests, (ii) 20–45 sccm, showing the highest hardness and friction values, and (iii) 52–60 sccm, with moderate hardness and minimal values of the friction coefficient and the wear rate.     

Effect of adhesive and cohesive strength on the tribological behaviour of non‐reactively sputtered TiC thin films

Titanium carbide (TiC) thin films were deposited on D9 steel substrates at room temperature (RT), 200 °C and 400 °C. A compound TiC target was sputtered to deposit films in a non‐reactive argon atmosphere. As‐deposited films were characterised for structural, chemical and mechanical properties. Nanoindentation and scratch tests were performed to evaluate the cohesive and adhesive strength of the films, respectively. Tribological properties of the films were investigated using a tribometer. An increase in nano‐hardness from 7.2 to 10.5 GPa was observed as deposition temperature was increased. The films deposited at RT and 200 °C showed poor adhesion leading to the inferior tribological performance. In contrast, films deposited at 400 °C showed better adhesion which improved the wear resistance. Tribological behaviour of TiC thin films was correlated with contact deformation modes of coatings. These modes revealed significant role of adhesive and cohesive strength associated with the coatings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improvement of pour point and oxidative stability of synthetic ester basestocks for biolubricant applications

For environmental reasons, as well as the dwindling source of petroleum, a new class of environmentally acceptable and renewable biolubricants based on plant oils is available. Even though plant oils possess excellent lubricant-related properties, there are some concerns about using it as biolubricant base oil. In this study we present a series of structures derived from oleic acid to be used as synthetic biolubricant basestocks. Measuring of pour point (PP), flash point, viscosity index (VI), oxidation onset temperature (OT) and signal maximum temperature (SMT) was carried out for each compound. Furthermore, the friction and wear properties were measured using a high-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR). The resulting product structures were confirmed by NMR and FTIR spectroscopic analysis. The results showed that ethylhexyl 9-(octanoyloxy)-10-(behenoxy)octadecanoate with behenyl mid-chain ester exhibited the most favorable low temperature performance (PP ?48 °C) and ethylhexyl 9-(octanoyloxy)-10-(octyloxy)octadecanoate octyl mid-chain ester exhibited higher oxidation stability (OT 142 °C) than the other synthetic ester oils. On the other hand, the highest ball wear scan diameter was obtained for ethylhexyl 9-(octanoyloxy)-10-(behenoxy)octadecanoate while the lowest value was obtained for 9-hydroxy-10-octyloxyoctadecanoic acid. Overall, it was concluded that these synthetic ester oils have potential in formulation of industrial fluids for different temperature applications.     

Etude de la recristallisation d'un acier inoxydable ferritique a 17% de chrome et a faibles teneurs en elements interstitiels par mesure de l'amortissement interne

Recristallization studies of a ferritic stainless steel with 17% Cr and low interstitial contents by internal friction measurements. This study deals with a Fe-17% Cr steel with low interstitial contents and a titanium percentage of 0.1wt%. The steel was hot - rolled and homogenized by annealing for 4 hours at 830°C, then it was rolled to 83% reduction in thickness. Recristallization was studied by measuring internal friction. These measurements were supported by optical microscopy observations and by hardness measurements. According to the measurements of hardness, the recristallization temperature would be 650°C. By internal friction at an oscillation frequency of 0.8 Hz, the ferromagnetic friction allows to follow recristallization safely. Thus internal friction reaches its maximum at 700°C. At this temperature, hardness is stabilized and optical microscopy shows the grains to be in contact. Under a magnetic field, the internal friction linked to lattice defects is very low and goes through a minimum at 700°C.     

Friction and wear mechanisms of polyamide 66/high density polyethylene blends

Polyamide 66 (PA66)/high density polyethylene (HDPE) blends having miscible structure were produced by compatibilization of HDPE grafted with maleic anhydride (HDPE‐g‐MAH). Mechanical and tribological properties of blends in different compositions were tested. It was found that the polymer blends greatly improved the mechanical properties of PA66 and HDPE. Blending HDPE with PA66 significantly decreased the friction coefficient of PA66; the friction coefficients of blends with different compositions were almost the same and approximately equal to that of pure HDPE; the blends with 80 vol % PA66 exhibited the best wear resistance. The transfer films, counterpart surfaces, and wear debris formed during sliding were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis was further carried out on wear debris. These investigations indicated that the thermal control of friction model is applicable to PA66/HDPE blend, that is the friction coefficient of blend is governed by the HDPE component, which possesses a lower softening point relative to the PA66 component in this system. The wear mechanism of PA66/HDPE blend transforms from PA66 to HDPE as the HDPE content increases. PA66, as the component with higher softening point, increases the hardness of blend, enhances the ability of blend to form a transfer film on the counterface, and inhibits the formation of larger belt‐like debris of HDPE, at the same time, the presence of self‐lubricating HDPE in the system decreases the friction coefficient and the frictional heat, all of these factors are favorable for the wear resistance of PA66/HDPE blend. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2514–2523, 2005     

Mechanical and tribological performance of UHMWPE influenced by temperature change

Water-lubricated surface bearing components experience boundary and mixed lubrication during operation. The lack of lubrication induces temperature increase, affecting the properties of the component. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is commonly used for these applications and the influence of the temperature on the mechanical and tribological performance has not been clearly identified. This study evaluates the wear resistance and hardness of UHMWPE with the temperature increase in a range of 20 °C–60 °C. An important reduction of hardness and wear resistance was observed in this interval. The wear rate increased 94.8% when the temperature changed from 20 °C to 50 °C. The wear resistance decreased more rapidly than the hardness when the temperature was increased. The correlation between hardness and wear rate is less consistent when the hardness value was below 4.12 (Hv_0.3), reported at 40 °C. Plastic deformation and adhesion were highly enhanced with temperature.