Tribological and mechanical properties of amorphous and semi-crystalline PEEK/SiO2 nanocomposite coatings deposited on the plain carbon steel by electrostatic powder spray technique

One of the main practical limitations of polymer coatings is dependency of their mechanical and physical properties on the crystallinity of polymer matrix. In this research, the effect of the presence of silica nanoparticles on microhardness, interfacial adhesion strength and tribological behavior of amorphous and semi-crystalline polyether–ether–ketone (PEEK) coatings were examined. The coatings were prepared by a combination of ball milling and electrostatic powder spraying methods. The results showed that the semi-crystalline pure PEEK coating had higher hardness, lower adhesion strength, coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate than the amorphous one. However, the incorporating of PEEK with surface modified silica nanoparticles led to an increase in the coatings microhardness and interfacial adherence. The wear rates of both the semi-crystalline and amorphous nanocomposite coatings were lower than the pure ones but their COF were slightly higher. It was also found that, compared with the pure coatings, the sensitivity of the mechanical and tribological properties of the nanocomposite coatings to the crystalline structure of the PEEK matrix are less pronounced.     

Polyetheretherketone,hexagonal boron nitride,and tungsten carbide cobalt chromium composite coatings: Mechanical and tribological properties

Composite powder coatings consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and tungsten carbide cobalt chromium (WC-CoCr) particles were prepared by mechanical grinding and applied on steel substrates by thermal fusion of the thermoplastic polymer. The coatings contained about 20–60 vol% of hBN and WC-CoCr, and were designed to maximize modulus and hardness and minimize friction coefficient and wear rate. The mechanical and tribological properties of single- and double-layered coatings were characterized using nanoindentation and sliding friction and wear measurements. When the hBN concentration was about 30 vol%, the PEEK–hBN composite modulus was lower than that of neat PEEK, which is attributed to the disruption of PEEK crystallization by the filler particles. Upon the inclusion of WC-CoCr particles, the composite's modulus, and hardness showed a substantial increase beyond PEEK values. Elastic moduli of the mixed-filler systems were closer to the Reuss bound than the Voigt bound and could be correlated well with the coating composition using volume-fraction-weighted powers of component properties. Fitted values of the exponent (called the microstructural coefficient) were consistent with the expected continuity and connectivity of the composite's hard and soft phases. Viscoplastic energy dissipation increased with an increase in the polymer-filler interfacial area but decreased with the soft-phase volume fraction. The plasticity index was found to increase logarithmically with the coating modulus. The specific wear rate increased sharply beyond a composition-dependent critical value of the plasticity index. Mechanical polishing of the coating surfaces using abrasive slurries lowered the friction coefficient but increased the wear rate.     

Structural and tribological characterization of amorphous and crystalline titanium-nickel coatings

The interest in titanium-nickel (TiNi) alloys has increased with the discovery of the versatile properties of these alloys. In this study, the structural, mechanical and tribological properties of amorphous and crystalline TiNi coatings were investigated. The TiNi coatings were deposited with magnetron sputtering system. The crystallization process was conducted in a vacuum heat treatment furnace. The structural properties of the coatings were investigated with XRD, SEM and EDS analyses. Micro-hardness and pin-on-disc wear tests were used to obtain the mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings. AISI D2 steel, AISI 52100 steel, Aluminum 2024 alloy and copper were used as substrate materials, hence the effects of different substrates were also investigated. The highest coating hardness was obtained as 8.5?GPa and the lowest coefficient of friction value was obtained as 0.18. The tribological tests showed that the amorphous and crystalline TiNi coatings have different coefficient of friction and wear rate and using different substrate affects these properties.     

硼化钽增强聚醚醚酮复合涂层的制备及性能评价

采用阴极电泳沉积技术在纯钛基板表面沉积聚醚醚酮（PEEK）/硼化钽（TaB₂）复合涂层。采用透射电子显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射仪和摩擦磨损试验机等方式对电泳沉积液分散性、PEEK/TaB₂复合涂层表面形貌、微观结构、结晶行为、摩擦学性能和生物学性能进行表征。结果表明，通过调节电泳沉积参数可以制备形貌均匀、具有一定厚度的PEEK/TaB₂复合涂层，在390 ℃热处理后，涂层均匀致密无孔隙；热处理可以提高PEEK/TaB₂涂层的结晶性能，TaB₂颗粒的加入使PEEK涂层获得更高的结晶度；添加较低含量的TaB₂颗粒时，复合涂层在小牛血清（fetal bovine serum，FBS）介质中表现出良好的摩擦学性能，与纯PEEK涂层相比，磨损率分别下降了48.1 %，69.1 %；但过量TaB₂颗粒在PEEK基质中出现明显的团聚现象， 摩擦系数和磨损率呈现上升趋势；细胞实验表明，TaB₂良好的生物活性促进了样品表面细胞增殖。     

Effect of substrate rotational speed during deposition on the microstructure,mechanical and tribological properties of a-C:Ta coatings

Rotational speed has an important influence on the performance of coating materials. The a-C:Ta composite coatings were prepared by controlling the substrate rotational speed during deposition process using PVD technique. The results showed that the coating transformed from dense structure to columnar structure. Due to the changes of deposition time and the vapor incident angle of the sputtering ions, the sp² hybrid structure increased and the C–Ta bonds contents decreased as a function of the rotational speed, which led to the improvement of adhesion force. The average friction coefficient of the composite coatings did not fluctuate significantly for the amorphous carbon matrix and the transfer films formed during friction, while the wear rates were gradually increased. The sample at 0.5 rpm possessed the lowest wear rate, which was mainly associated with the cooperative behavior of the dense structure and the formation of TaC nanoclusters in the composite coating.     

超细氧化钛纤维对PEEK摩擦学和热性能的影响

研究了超细氧化钛纤维对PEEK摩擦磨损、耐热和结晶性能的影响,并与nano-TiO₂粒子增强PEEK作对比,探讨了相关作用机理。结果表明：与nano- TiO₂微粒相比,超细TiO₂纤维具有更强的显微补强、显微耐磨作用,填充超细TiO₂纤维的PEEK表现出更好的减摩耐磨特性和耐热性能。无论在较低载荷还是较高载荷下,超细TiO₂纤维/PEEK复合材料的摩擦系数和磨损率均低于nano- TiO₂/PEEK复合材料,且其磨损面、对偶面更加平整光滑。载荷200 N时,5%～10%相似文献   

The tribological properties of SiC whisker-reinforced polyetheretherketone

SiC whisker-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites with different filler proportions were made into block specimens by compression molding. The friction and wear properties of the composites were investigated on a block-on-ring machine by running a plain carbon steel (AISI 1045 steel) ring against the composite block under ambient conditions. The morphologies of the wear traces and wear debris were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that SiC whisker-reinforced PEEK exhibited considerably lower friction coefficient compared with pure PEEK, while SiC whisker as a filler at a content of 1.25 to 2.5 wt % was very effective in reducing the wear rate of PEEK. Especially, the lowest wear rate was obtained with the composite containing 1.25 wt % SiC whisker. The SEM pictures of the wear traces indicated that PEEK composites undertook abrasive wear that was enhanced with increasing SiC whisker content, while for the frictional couple of carbon steel ring/composite block (reinforced with 1.25 wt % filler), a thin, uniform, and tenacious transfer film was formed on the ring surface. It was also supposed that the differences in the content of SiC whisker as filler could cause the differences in the wear mechanisms of SiC whisker-reinforced PEEK composites. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 2341–2347, 1998     

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as reinforced fibres on tribological behaviour of Ni–P electroless coatings

After multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were modified and dispersed uniformly in electrolyte, the MWNTs composite coatings were prepared by electroless deposition. Hardness tests were carried out using a Vickers Hardness indenter. The friction and wear behavior of the Ni–P–MWNTs composite coatings in carbon-steel rings were investigated by using a ring-on-plate wear tester at pure liquid paraffin. Moreover, the friction and wear behavior of nine kinds of wear combinations, which were composed of plates and rings of different composite coatings, were studied. The experimental results indicated that addition of MWNTs would result in an increase in microhardness and an improvement of tribological properties of the Ni–P composite coating significantly. The Ni–P–MWNTs composite coatings revealed lower wear rate and friction coefficient compared with Si–C composite coatings. Moreover, the wear combination, which composed of the Ni–P–MWNTs composite coatings, showed a more excellent ability of friction-reduction and wear resistance than other combinations, and their friction coefficient and wear rate were 0.1087 and 1.49 × 10^− 6 kg/m, respectively.     

Microstructural,mechanical and tribological properties of suspension plasma sprayed YSZ/h-BN composite coating

Brittleness, relative high friction coefficient and wear rate limit the applications of ceramic coatings as wear-resistant layers. However, because embedding additives with ceramic matrix has demonstrated to be an effective way to improve coating performances, different contents and size of h-BN were added into an YSZ suspension. Afterwards, the YSZ/h-BN composite coatings were manufactured by suspension plasma spray and their tribological analysis indicated that: i) the reduction of the friction coefficient and wear rate can be achieved by incorporating h-BN into YSZ coating. ii) finer h-BN particle is more helpful to enhance the tribological properties of the coating. iii) the optimum content is dependent on h-BN particle sizes. iv) when the contents and the size of the h-BN inclusion increase, the probability distribution of the micro-hardness can become bi-modal. Three worn surface conditions were summarized and their wear mechanisms were discussed as well.     

Microstructure,adhesion, and tribological properties of conventional plasma-sprayed coatings on steel substrate

A variety of metallic and oxide coatings were deposited under various conditions on 1020 mild steel substrate by conventional plasma spraying. The coating thickness, microhardness, cohesion and adhesion failure loads, friction coefficient, and abrasive wear resistance were evaluated. The coatings were classified as follows, in order of decreasing microhardness and wear resistance: alumina, chromia, 316 stainless steel, Ni-5% Al, elemental aluminum and aluminum-polyester. Wear resistance increased with increasing microhardness and decreasing friction coefficient. The microhardness and wear resistance of high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) diamond jet (DJ)-sprayed aluminum were found to be superior to those of plasma-sprayed aluminum. Plasma or flame-sprayed metallic coatings adhered well to the substrate. The cohesion, adhesion, microhardness, and wear resistance of alumina coatings exceeded those of equally thick chromia coatings.     

Cracking induced tribological behavior changes for the HVOF WC-12Co cermet coatings

HVOF sprayed WC based cermet coatings have been widely used in industries as barriers against wear and hydrodynamic cavitation due to their high hardness and relatively high toughness. However, cracking of the coatings can occur during coating production or in service, which can reduce operational performances. It can be difficult to assess the performance impact due to cracks within the coating and as to whether the cracked coatings should be resprayed or removed from service. In this work, artificial cracks of different widths were introduced to liquid fuel HVOF sprayed WC-12Co coating through uniaxial tension of the coated steel substrate to assess the implications of such cracking. Tribological performances of the cracked coatings were examined using rubber wheel dry abrasion, ‘ball on disc’ sliding wear, and ultrasonic cavitation erosion. The results show that the crack deteriorates the abrasive wear resistance of the coating at the initial stage due to preferable mass loss at the cracks. However, after 30?min of abrasion, all the cracked coatings showed the same wear rate as compared to the non-cracked coating, with the abrasive wear resistance acting independent to the crack characteristics. Because the cracks could store wear debris and thus minimize the debris induced abrasion to the coating surface during sliding wear test, both improvement in wear resistance and reduction in coefficient of friction (COF) were detected in the cracked coatings. During the cavitation test, it was found that the mass loss of the specimen increased significantly (up to 75%)with crack width and density suggesting that the crack presence greatly deteriorated the cavitation resistance of the cermet coatings.     

TiC/Ti3AlC2–Co plasma-sprayed coatings with excellent high-temperature tribological properties

In this work, TiC/Ti₃AlC₂–Co cermet coatings with varying amounts of Ti₃AlC₂ were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process and their wear-resistant properties were discussed. The friction coefficients and wear rates at high-temperatures were measured through a ball-on-disk type friction test at 600 °C. In addition, the corresponding wear mechanisms were elucidated through the observation of phase changes and surface microstructural evolution of the coatings. The results indicated that the as-prepared coatings consisted of TiC, Ti, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Co and CoO phases, which were produced by the decomposition and oxidation of TiC and Ti₃AlC₂. Compared with other samples, the sample with 30 wt% Ti₃AlC₂ addition displayed the smallest friction coefficient and least wear rate. Its wear rate was about 1.26 times lower than that of reported TiC–Co cermet material and about 10 times lower than that of the typically used TiC–Ni cermet material, suggesting outstanding wear resistance at elevated temperature. The addition of Ti₃AlC₂ reduced the friction coefficient of the coating by producing more TiC and Al₂O₃ hard phases and a consequent reduction of coating porosity. When the amount of Ti₃AlC₂ in the coating was less than 30 wt%, the main wear mechanism was abrasive wear. As the content of Ti₃AlC₂ was increased in the coating, the wear mechanism changed from abrasive wear to adhesive wear and the wear pattern of the coating gradually transformed from the furrows to the debris. This transformation of mechanism was related to the synergistic effect of hardness and porosity of the coating, which resulted from the remaining content and the special layered structure of Ti₃AlC₂.     

Microstructure,mechanical and high temperature tribological behaviour of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced plasma sprayed titanium nitride coating

In the present study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs: 1–2 wt. %) reinforced TiN coating were successfully fabricated over titanium alloy using a reactive shroud plasma spraying technique. All coatings were completely oxide free, while the addition of GNPs suppressed the non-stoichiometric TiN_0.3 phase. Improvement of 19%, 18% and 300% in hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness was achieved by mere addition of 2 wt. % GNP. The addition of GNP in TiN also reduced the wear volume loss and the wear rate of the coatings for the entire range of temperature (293–873 K). Moreover, GNPs also manifested the coefficient of friction (COF) of the coating. Post wear characterization revealed that the presence of GNP throughout the wear track even at 873 K. The multi-layer structure of GNPs assisted in long term lubricity to the surface and increased the wear resistance of the coating.     

Microstructure and tribological properties of multilayered ZrCrW(C)N coatings fabricated by cathodic vacuum-arc deposition

In this study, a series of ZrCrW(C)N multilayer coatings with various transition layers were deposited on AISI304 stainless steel using cathodic vacuum-arc deposition in N₂–C₂H₂ gas mixture. The tribological behaviors of sliding against Al₂O₃ balls under dry friction and lubricant conditions were investigated using a reciprocating tribometer. The results demonstrated that the ZrCrW(C)N coatings comprised (Zr, Cr, W) (C, N) crystallites and an amorphous carbon phase. It possessed a nano-hardness of 35.4 GPa and an elastic modulus of 417.7 GPa. The friction coefficient of the coating was reduced by 14% compared to that of the 304 matrices, and the wear mechanism changed from adhesive wear to slight abrasive wear under the lubrication steady state. Under dry friction conditions, the ZrCrW(C)N coatings with the entire CrWN transition layer exhibited wear rates of 1.27 ± 0.04 × 10^?8 mm³ (N m)^?1, which were one order of magnitude lower than that of the 304 steel. Compared with the untreated AISI304 stainless steel, the ZrCrW(C)N coating exhibits excellent mechanical and tribological properties under lubricated and dry friction conditions, which are crucial for engineering applications.     

Reinforced mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed Fe-based amorphous composite coatings by in-situ TiNx/TiOy

Ceramic particle-reinforced Fe-based amorphous coatings have received extensive attention due to their excellent strength and wear resistance. In this paper, TiN_x/TiO_y -enhanced Fe-based amorphous coatings were prepared by reactive plasma spraying technology, and the effect of eggshell-like TiN_x/TiO_y on the comprehensive mechanical properties of Fe-based amorphous coatings was systematically studied. The results showed that the hardness of the composite coating was significantly higher than that of the amorphous single-phase coating. Moreover, indentation experiments showed that TiN_x/TiO_y effectively confined crack growth in the amorphous phase. Though the bonding strength of the composite coating was lower than that of the pure amorphous coating, but still maintained a high bonding force of 20.68 MPa. Through the wear experiment, it was found that the wear scar of the composite coatings appeared plastic deformation, the friction coefficient and wear mass loss were both greatly reduced, and the optimal wear performance appeared in the composite coating with 15% Ti addition. In addition, SEM, EDS analysis, and the first-principles simulation results demonstrated the good bonding between Ti-containing compounds and Fe-based alloys.     

Hydrogen content influence on tribological properties of nc-WC/a-C:H coatings

Hydrogen content has high influence on low-friction properties of an amorphous carbon coating a-C with or without transition metal additions. In the paper the nanocrystalline nc-WC/a-C:H coatings deposited by means of magnetron sputtering were investigated. Hydrogen content up to 37% was obtained by the use of different flows of pure hydrogen or methane mixed with pure argon. The coatings were investigated by means of SEM, EDS, and SAED HR TEM in order to obtain thickness, sufrace morphology, chemical composition as well as nanostructure. Moreover, these were investigated: type of bonds between carbon atoms by means of Raman Shift Spectroscopy and hydrogen content by means of SIMS and inert gas fusion crucible method. Tribological properties were elaborated by means of ‘pin-on-disc’ method. It was stated that coefficient of friction, microstructure and type of bonds between carbon atoms are highly dependent from the hydrogen content. It is the main parameter for achieving of low friction coefficient (below 0.1) as well as very low wear rate (in a range of 10⁻¹⁷ m³·N⁻¹·m⁻¹. Obtained results confirmed that proposed nc-WC/a-C:H coatings can be used for improving tribological properties of hard steels and hardened titanium alloys.     

Cr–C/h-BN 自润滑复合镀层的制备与摩擦学性能

在三价铬Cr–C镀液中添加1~5 g/L的h-BN自润滑微粒,运用直流电沉积技术在Q235碳素结构钢基体上制备了Cr–C/h-BN复合镀层。利用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、显微硬度计、摩擦磨损试验机等设备分析了h-BN微粒添加量、电流密度等工艺参数对镀层组织和性能的影响。结果表明:在电流密度20 A/dm2,h-BN添加量3 g/L的条件下,可获得h-BN微粒体积分数为6.15%的复合镀层。h-BN微粒的添加改善了Cr–C合金镀层的耐磨性,Cr–C/h-BN复合镀层在室温干摩擦条件下的磨损率减少了22%,平均摩擦因数由原先的0.49降低至0.31。     

Investigation of tribological properties of micro-arc oxidation ceramic coating on Mg alloy under dry sliding condition

To enhance wear resistance of Mg alloy, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) ceramic coatings on Mg substrate were prepared in silicate electrolyte under various currents. It was found that the surface roughness and thickness of MAO coating were increased with the increase of current. The dry tribological tests showed that the friction coefficient and wear resistance of thicker coatings (obtained under currents of 3?A and 4?A) were much higher than that of Mg alloy and the thin coating (obtained under current of 2?A), meanwhile the lifetime of the coating obtained under 4?A was longer than the other coatings under higher load. The wear type of thin MAO coating was slight abrasive wear under low load, whereas translated to severe adhesive wear under high load. While the main wear mechanism of thick MAO coating was slight abrasive wear or scratch under the given test condition, which was attributed to the thick intermediate layer improved load support for the soft substrate. The tribological study indicated that the MAO coating obtained under 4?A current had better wear resistance and life time due to its compact microstructure and thickness.     

Tribological behavior of poly(ether ether ketone) composites filled with potassium titanate whiskers sliding in different media

The friction and wear properties of poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composites filled with potassium titanate whiskers (PTWs) under alkali, water, and dry conditions were investigated. The wear mechanisms in different lubrication situations were studied on the basis of examinations of the worn and counterpart surfaces with scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. The results showed that PTWs could obviously increase the wear resistance and reduce the friction coefficient of the PEEK composites under dry sliding conditions. Only when the PTW content was greater than 35 wt % did the wear resistance and friction coefficient deteriorate. Sliding in water caused increases in the wear rate and friction coefficient of the PEEK composites, and the PTW‐filled PEEK composites showed the highest friction coefficient and wear rate under this lubrication condition. On the contrary, sliding in an alkaline solution, the PTW‐filled PEEK composites showed the lowest friction coefficient and almost the same level of wear resistance as that found under the dry condition. Furrows and abrasive wear were the main mechanisms for the PTW‐filled PEEK composites sliding in water. The transfer onto the counterpart rings was significantly hindered with sliding under water and alkali conditions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Thermostability,oxidation, and high-temperature tribological properties of nano-multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coatings

In this study, monolithic AlCrSiN, VN, and nano-multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coatings were deposited using a hybrid deposition system combining arc ion plating and pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering. The microstructure, thermostability, mechanical, oxidation and tribological properties of the coatings were comparably investigated. The multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coating exhibited a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with (200) preferred orientation and showed the highest hardness (30.7 ± 0.5 GPa) among these three coatings due to the multilayer interface enhancement mechanism and higher compressive stress. The AlCrSiN sublayers effectively prevented the V element from rapid outward diffusion to the surface of AlCrSiN/VN coating at elevated temperatures, which improved the oxidation resistance of the coating. Decomposition of V (Cr)–N bonds occurred at annealing temperatures from 800 °C to 1000 °C and V₂N phase appeared at 1100 °C. The AlCrSiN/VN coating showed excellent tribological performance at high temperatures by combining the merits of VN layers for low friction coefficient and AlCrSiN layers for superior oxidation resistance. Compared to VN and AlCrSiN coatings, AlCrSiN/VN coating showed the lowest wear rate of 2.6×10^-15 m³/N·m at 600 °C and lowest friction coefficient of 0.26 at 800 °C with a relativity low wear rate of 39.4×10^-15 m³/N·m.