Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (12) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Tribofilm (12) (entfernen)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
The running-in phase of mechanical systems is critical from a tribological standpoint, though poorly understood. Microcracks accelerate material failure and wear during this phase of heightened friction. With this in mind, the ultimate goal of this current work is to transfer the running-in phase into the final step of the mechanical finishing process through the targeted pre-conditioning of novel, high toughness steel bearings without thermo-chemical treatments and compare these to conventional, case-hardened steels. This pre-conditioning involved the targeted implementation of two specific lubricant packages, the first with CaCO3 as the active ingredient and the second with MoDTC as the active ingredient, to generate chemically reactive tribolayers (tribofilms) on twin disk testing rigs. Pre-conditioning was carried out up to 104 load cycles (approximately 25 min). The films generated in pre-conditioning were analyzed by SEM-EDX with Element-Mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS to elucidate their molecular composition and concentration on the sample surfaces. The combination of these methods of analysis gave a clear indication that 104 cycles were sufficient to generate stable chemical tribofilms. CaO and CaCO3 were the main components of the tribofilm from the first lubricant package, while MoS2, MoO2 and MoO3 were the main components from the second lubricant package. Tribofilm-protected samples were then subjected to slip-rolling endurance testing (T=+120 °C, 10,000,000 cycles, approximately 19 days in a factory fill engine oil) to determine any changes in friction behavior or wear performance. Some significant reductions in coefficients of friction at the end of endurance testing were observed, though in certain cases, no definitive improvement was observed. In contrast, very strong reductions in wear were observed across the entire spectrum of materials and testing loads. In some cases, sample surface wear reduction from pre-conditioning via tribofilms reached over 90%. The observed improvements to friction behavior and wear performance are indicative of a technically simple, cost- and energy-efficient pre-conditioning method that may prove to be competitive with existing thermochemical treatments for steel alloys.
The impact of pressure, sliding velocity and property variation of constituents on the sliding behaviour of a model tribofilm was studied with the method of movable cellular automata (MCA). Whereas a clear pressure dependency of the coefficient of friction (COF) was always observed and could be correlated with the structure formation in terms of varying thickness of a mechanically mixed layer, the impact of the other parameters was either negligible or rather weak. Only if a brittle-to-ductile Transition of the oxide-based tribofilm was assumed, a significant decrease in the COF level was predicted.
Temperature-dependent property changes can be neglected during MCA modelling, unless this transition takes place. For magnetite-based tribofilms, the transition temperature is beyond 800 °C, i.e. a temperature leading to fading effects during braking anyway. Thus, it could be concluded that, except for very severe braking conditions, sliding simulations with the MCA method yield meaningful results without considering temperature-dependent mechanical properties.
This review article comprises of three parts. Firstly, reports of brake manufacturers on the beneficial impact of solid lubricants for pad formulations are surveyed. Secondly, since tribofilms were identified to play a crucial role in friction stabilization and wear reduction, the knowledge about tribofilm structures formed during automotive braking was reviewed comprehensively. Finally, a model for simulating the sliding behavior of tribofilms is suggested and a review on modelling efforts with different model structures related to real tribofilms will be presented. Although the variety of friction composites involved in commercial brake systems is very broad, striking similarities were observed in respect to tribofilm nanostructures. Thus a generalization of the tribofilm nanostructure is suggested and prerequisites for smooth sliding performance and minimal wear rates have been identified. A minimum of 13 vol.% of soft inclusions embedded in an iron oxide based tribofilm is crucial for obtaining the desired properties. As long as the solid lubricants or their reaction products are softer than magnetite, the main constituent of the tribofilm, the model predicts smooth sliding and a minimum of wear.
Self-mated magnesia stabilized zirconia (Mg-PSZ) ceramic sliding couples have been investigated at 100 N load (P0max= 1324 MPa) in oscillating sliding conditions in different humidity conditions in air and in hot steam. Temperatures have been varied up to 400 °C and pressures up to 6 bars. The results show that the wear behavior of MgO-ZrO2 under high Hertzian contact pressures is strongly dependent on temperature and is similar for both dry oscillating and oscillating in hot steam. However, although the evolution in wear rates on temperature is similar and the wear rates of MgO-ZrO2 plunged above 300 °C in hot steam and air by nearly three orders of magnitude, SEM micrographs revealed in hot steam at 400 °C smooth wear tracks. In contrast, hot steam enhanced the tribochemistry of self-mated alumina couples and reduced wear rates. Hot steam decreased the coefficients of friction of MgO-ZrO2 with increasing temperature, but not the wear rates.
Formation and function mechanisms of nanostructured tribofilms of epoxy-based hybrid nanocomposites
(2015)
The nanostructures and properties of the tribofilms of epoxy (EP) composites filled with short carbon fibers (SCF) and different volume fractions of monodisperse silica nanoparticles were investigated. When the conventional composite filled only with SCF was considered under a high pv condition, an iron oxide layer is formed on the steel counterface. The addition of even only 0.05 vol% nano-silica leads to a significant change of the tribofilm's structure and the tribological behavior of the composite. With increasing silica content, the oxidation layer on the steel surface is gradually replaced by a silica-based tribofilm. A close relationship between the tribofilms structure and the tribological behavior of the composites was identified. Mixing, possible reactions and tribo-sintering of silica nanoparticles with other wear products are deemed to be main mechanisms inducing the formation and the lubricity of the silica-based tribofilm.
The effect of steel counterface topography on the formation mechanisms of nanostructured tribofilms of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) hybrid nanocomposites was studied. Three types of surface finishes with mean roughness Ra ranging from nano- to micro-scale were investigated. Tribo-sintering of nanopartides, oxidation of counterface steel and compaction of wear debris are identified to be competing factors dominating the formation and function of the tribofilms. Counterface topography played an important role on the competing factors, and thereby influenced significantly the final structure, the load-carrying capability and the lubrication performance of the tribofilms. It was disclosed that a thin tribofilm, which mainly consists of silica nanoparticles and which forms on the counterface with a submicron roughness, benefits best the tribological performance of the composites
The tribological performance of short glass fibers (SGF),solid lubricants and silica nanoparticles filled epoxy (EP) composites was investigated under oil lubrication conditions. It is demonstrated that the addition of SGF greatly reduces the friction and wear of EP. However, further addition of solid lubricants and silica nanoparticles does not change obviously the friction and wear. It is identified that the high tribological performance of SGF reinforced EP is related to the high load carrying capacity and abrasion resistance of SGF. The nanostructure of the tribofilm was comprehensively characterized. It is deemed that the tribofilm plays an important role in the tribological performance by avoiding the direct rubbing of the sliding pairs exposed to boundary and mixed lubrication conditions.
Excellent tribological properties of an advanced polymer matrix composite were obtained by a combination of micro- and nano-sized fillers. Surface features and the nanostructure of tribofilms were characterized by advanced microscopic techniques, and correlated with the macroscopic behavior in terms of wear rate and friction evolution. A model based on movable cellular automata was applied for obtaining a better understanding of the sliding behavior of the nanostructured tribofilms. The failure of the conventional composite without silica nanoparticles could be attributed to severe oxidational wear after degradation of an initially formed polymer transfer film. The hybrid composite preserves its antiwear and antifriction properties because flash temperatures at micron-sized carbon fibers, lead to polymer degradation and subsequent release of nanoparticles. It has been shown that the released particles are mixed with other wear products and form stable films at the disc surface thus preventing further severe oxidational wear. Furthermore, the released wear product also is embedding carbon fibers at the composite surface thus preventing fiber fragmentation and subsequent third body abrasion. With nanoscale modelling we were able to show that low friction and wear can be expected if the nanostructured silica films contain at least 10 vol.% of a soft ingredient.
The composition and nanostructure of a beneficial tribofilm formed during sliding of a hybrid nanocomposite against steel were characterized comprehensively. A similar nanostructure was produced by high energy ball milling of the three identified tribofilm constituents: silica, hematite and graphite. By supplying powders to a pin-on-disc test it has been shown that neither silica, nor hematite, nor a mixture of both provide the low coefficient of friction (COF) observed for the hybrid composite. Only if graphite was blended with the oxides, the low COF was obtained. Thus, a film of finely dispersed stable inorganic wear products containing 15 vol% graphite provides low friction and wear in the considered case.