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Title: Analysis of Wear Mechanisms in Low Friction, Nanocomposite AlMgB14-TiB2 Coatings

Journal Article · · Surface and Coatings Technology

Recent developments in coating science and technology offer new opportunities to enhance the energy-efficiency and performance of industrial machinery such as hydraulic fluid pumps and motors. The lubricated friction and wear characteristics of two wear-resistant coatings, diamond-like carbon and a nanocomposite material based on AlMgB{sub 14}-50 vol.% TiB{sub 2}, were compared in pin-on-disk tribotests using Mobil DTE-24{trademark} oil as the lubricant. In each case, the pins were fixed 9.53 mm diameter spheres of AISI 52100 steel, the load was 10 N, and the speed 0.5 m/s in all tests. Average steady-state friction coefficient values of 0.10 and 0.08 were measured for the DLC and nanocomposite, respectively. The coatings and their 52100 steel counterfaces were analyzed after the tests by X-ray photoelectron and Auger spectroscopy for evidence of material transfer or tribo-chemical reactions. The low-friction behavior of the boride nanocomposite coating is due to the formation of lubricative boric acid, B(OH){sub 3}. In contrast, the low-friction behavior of the DLC coating is related to the relatively low dielectric constant of the oil-based lubricant, leading to desorption of surface hydrogen from the coating.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1010567
Journal Information:
Surface and Coatings Technology, Vol. 205, Issue 7; ISSN 0257-8972
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English