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Organisationseinheit der BAM
Das tribologische Verhalten wird neben den chemischen und physikalischen Eigenschaften der Reibpartner auch von deren Oberflaechentopographie bestimmt. Um deren Beitrag auf die Reibkraft zu untersuchen, wurden daher definierte Rauheitsstrukturen in Siliziumwafer geaetzt. Reibversuche mit einem Mikrotribometer [1, 2] gaben Aufschluss ueber den Einfluss dieser Strukturen auf das Deformationsverhalten im Kontaktbereich. Mit Hilfe der gewonnenen Daten wurde ein Deformationsmodell entwickelt, das eine Abschaetzung der Reibkraft in Abhaengigkeit von der Rauheit erlaubte. Treten starke Adhaesionskraefte im Reibkontakt auf, ist ein inverter Einfluss der Rauheit auf die Reibkraft zu verzeichnen. Um diesen Verlauf weiter zu charakterisieren, wurden mit einem UHV-AFM Adhaesionsmessungen an strukturierten Siliziumwafern durchgefuehrt. Diese zeigen den Verlauf der Adhaesionskraft in Abhaengigkeit von der Groesse der Kontaktflaeche auf. Ein Vergleich dieser experimentell gefundenen Korrelation mit den klassischen Kontaktmodellen machte dabei den Einfluss der Oberflaechenrauheit auf die Groesse der Adhaesionskraft deutlich. Danach ergab sich, dass bei gleicher Kontaktflaeche, aber unterschiedlicher Rauheit sich die Adhaesionskraefte um bis zu einem Faktor 3 unterscheiden. [1] K. Meine, T. Schneider, D. Spaltmann, E. Santner, Wear, 253, 2002, 725-732 [2] K. Meine, T. Schneider, D. Spaltmann, E. Santner, Wear, 253, 2002, 733-738
In situ Acoustic Emission for wear life detection of DLC coatings during slip-rolling friction
(2006)
Different diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on a steel substrate (100Cr6) were tested under slip-rolling friction conditions against uncoated counter bodies of the same steel. The initial maximum Hertzian pressure was varied in a range of P0 = 1.52.3 GPa. The friction tests were carried out under dry conditions and with an unadditivated paraffin oil as lubricant. It could be shown that the thickness of the coatings affects the respective wear life. Further, a very important factor for the wear life of a coating under lubricated slip-rolling conditions is the roughness of the surface of the respective counterbody. The wear life tests were monitored by recording in situ the Acoustic Emission (AE) signals. Some causes for a high AE activity could be identified.
Paraffinöl geschmierte Wälztests wurden an extrem harten Diamantschichten auf hartem SSiC Substrat, unterschiedlichen, harten DLC-Schichten auf 100Cr6 Substraten (HRC60) sowie ausgewählten DLC-Schichten auf ungehärtetem Stahl (HRC 20) durchgeführt. Die Wälztests wurden in einem Zweischeibentribometer vom Typ Amsler bei einer anfänglichen, maximalen Flächenpressung nach Hertz von P0=2,3 GPa ausgeführt. Als Abbruchkriterium für die Tests wurde das Erreichen von n=1.000.000 Überrollungen (Langzeittests n=10.000.000 Überrollungen) oder das Auftreten einer Schädigung mit einer zusammenhängenden Fläche von A>1 mm2 festgelegt. Die Wälztests zeigten, dass das harte SSiC Substrat zwar eine stützende Wirkung auf die Diamantschicht hat, diese aber aufgrund von Rissen im Substrat versagte. Ferner gibt es wenigstens zwei DLC-Schichten, die, aufgebracht auf 100Cr6 Scheiben (HRC60), den Wälztests bis n=10.000.000 Überrollungen ohne nennenswerte Schäden widerstanden. Diese Schichten passten sich auch den Verformungen des weichen, stickstofflegierten Stahls (HRC20) an, ohne das es zu größeren Abplatzungen kam (A>1 mm2).
Einfluss der Topographie von DLC-Schichten auf deren Verhalten unter geschmierter Wälzbeanspruchung
(2004)
Adhesion measurements are presented which were carried out with an atomic force microscope between polymer balls attached to a cantilever and a silicon wafer under ultra high vacuum conditions. In using a silicon surface with a defined structure a correlation between adhesion force and contact area was found. This correlation could partly be explained by the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts model, if a change of the surface energy is assumed as a result of the structuring. For a constant geometric contact area an additional structuring leads to a decrease of the adhesion force.
A novel tribometer has been designed using commercially available components for sliding motion at 40kHz with amplitude between 2.5 and 5µm. The tribometer is equipped with means to measure amplitude, frequency, power required to keep the sample in motion and load applied. The effective motion between the two contacting bodies is monitored. These data are used to evaluate the coefficient of friction. The wear rate was determined after the tests. The set-up was tested using novel, non-commercial substrates such as AlFeCrTi-alloys and tungsten carbide-based coatings as well as Magnéli-type coatings (Tin-2Cr2O2n-1 and TinO2n-1). This paper presents the principle of the ultra-high frequency tribometer and first tribological quantities of materials and coatings tested.
Diamond like carbon (DLC)-coatings are applied very successfully on computer discs. Sliding friction tests confirm their high performance as dry lubricants with friction coefficients (COFs) below 0.1. In contrast to sliding tests, until very recently most of the DLC-coatings failed in slip-rolling test after fewer cycles than uncoated samples. However, present tests with DLC-coatings of seven different suppliers show a more promising tribological behaviour under slip-rolling conditions. The DLC-coatings were deposited onto steel 100Cr6, HRC 60, with a thickness of 23 ?m. The counter bodies were uncoated, grinded or polished 100Cr6 discs with 30 mm radius of curvature. The tests were performed on a twin disc testing rig (Amsler type) with paraffin oil under boundary/mixed lubrication and rolling with 10% slip. The initial, average Hertzian contact pressure was adjusted to Pm = 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 GPa. The failure criterion was defined as the occurrence of a single damaged area larger than 1 mm2, which was controlled by optical microscopy (OM). An acoustic emission (AE) measurement system was installed as an additional online control for coating failure. The stressed coatings and the chipping areas were analyzed by OM, SEM, EDX, AFM and Raman spectroscopy.
Until now, the results reveal that a large scatter in lifetime of coatings occurs not only between samples of different coaters but also between the samples of one single batch. The highest lifetime reached by a DLC-coating under these testing conditions is 10 × 106 cycles. That is the highest life time for a coating tested under the testing conditions above in our laboratory so far. The following factors were identified to influence the life time of the coatings: coating thickness, interlayer type, topography of the coatings, counter body roughness and mechanical properties. But the most important factor determining the life time of the coatings is that the coating process does produce homogenous layers free of faults.
Costs reduction is one of the major objectives in mechanical applications with a parallel increase of the power output. Another driver represents new environmental standards and their increasing restrictions in the automotive industry leading to the question, if materials based concepts may substitute harmful EP/AW additives in lubricants. This paper presents the slip-rolling resistance of different DLC/THC coatings on steel substrates with a definite slip rate of 10%. Industrial DLC coatings of ta-C and a-C:H types from various manufacturers were deposited on steels SAE 52100 and AMS 5898 to compile the slip-rolling resistance under initial average Hertzian contact pressures between 1.5 GPa and 2 GPa. The tests were carried out on Amsler-type twin disc tribometer under the regime of mixed/boundary lubrication in unadditivated paraffinic oil (ISO VG 46) and a factory fill engine oil. The spherical steel sample was uncoated and the cylindrical coated with DLC. Some coatings achieved 10 million cycles without any damage under a maximal Hertzian contact pressure Pmax well over 2.25 GPa, thus exceeding FZG 12.
High-power piezo-electric motors with power densities of 1.4 kW/kg display a potential for substituting hydraulic actuators. For this application, two novel tribometers of the same type have been designed using commercially available components for sliding motion at 40 kHz with amplitudes between 2.5 µm and 5 µm. The tribometers are equipped with means to measure amplitude, frequency, power required to keep the samples in motion and load applied. The effective motion between the two contacting bodies is monitored in each of the tribometers. These data are used to evaluate the coefficient of friction. The wear rate was determined after the tests. The set-ups were tested using well-known 100Cr6H (AISI 52100) samples before investigating novel, non-commercial substrates such as AlFeCrTi-alloys and tungsten carbide-based coatings as well as Magnéli-type coatings (Tin-2Cr2O2n-1 and TinO2n-1). This paper presents the principle of the ultra-high frequency tribometers and first tribological quantities of materials and coatings tested up to and above 1011 cycles. Very low wear rates in the range 10-8 mm³/Nm down to 10-10 mm³/Nm were determined under dry oscillation in air.
Der Einfluss des E-Moduls und des Grundöls auf das Wälzverhalten von DLC- und Diamantbeschichtungen
(2005)
Zero wear (Null Verschleiß)
(2013)
The light-weight approach and fuel economy targets in today's automotive engineering require tribosystems, which can withstand higher contact pressures associated with low coefficients of friction. The application of high-performance coatings represents one approach among others. This paper presents some recently developed DLC coatings (a-C:H and ta-C) as well as a novel coating-substrate system (Zr(C,N)) in a benchmark test procedure under slip-rolling conditions in the presence of liquid lubricants. Various coatings with different thickness, interlayer and substrates were evaluated for their slip-rolling resistance in different lubricants at ambient temperature and at 120 °C. Results indicate that some of these coating systems can withstand at least 10 million cycles under initial Hertzian contact pressures of up to Pmax = 3.500 MPa and oil temperatures of at least 120 °C associated with low coefficients of friction under mixed/boundary conditions. Surface of the coatings and the counter bodies were analysed and compared with untreated substrates.
Das CargoLifter-Ballonkransystem nutzt die Prinzipien der Leichter-als-Luft-Technologie für das Heben von Gütern. Der mit leichtem Gas gefüllte Ballon drängt in der schwereren Luft nach oben und kann somit Lasten anheben. Im Gegensatz zu erdgebundenen Kranen ist für den Luftkran die Beschaffenheit des Bodens sekundär. Der Ballonkran wird an 3 Winden verankert und über die im Kranknotenpunkt zusammengeführten Seile präzise gesteuert. Beim Heben und Versetzen verbleibt die Last unter dem Ballon, der stets 100 % seiner Hubkraft auch bis zu 200 m Höhe und selbst weiterem Versatz behält. Reichweite bedeutet beim CargoLifter-Ballonkransystem statt mehr Ausleger mehr Seil.
Downsizing (power-to-weight ratio) and higher speeds lead to a rise in Hertzian contact pressures in combination with an increase in surface or oil temperatures. Under such conditions, commonly used bearing steels, such as 100Cr6, reach their limits, creating a demand for alternative slip-rolling resistant steel alloys. The present work therefore compares the slip-rolling performance of various steel types with Maraging- and PM-type steel alloys such as e.g. CSS-42L™, ASP2012, BIMAX42+, in the Hertzian contact pressure range up to P0max of 4 GPa. Through-hardened 100Cr6H (AISI 52100), case-hardened 20MnCr5 (AISI 5120H) and nitrogen alloyed Croni-dur30 (AMS 5898) still compete in terms of slip-rolling and wear resistance and load carrying capacity, whereas Maraging- and PM-type steel alloys offer superior strength and toughness properties.
The concept behind this Research Topic (RT) was to collect works, in which Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) techniques are employed to study tribological phenomena and to push the resolution of measurements towards single asperity contact. Thanks to the direct determination of sample height with sub-nanometer resolution and the possibility of measuring local friction, AFM can be employed after a tribotest to detect topography and friction changes at the nanometer scale. Recently, efforts are being expended to use AFM cantilevers as tribometers, i.e., as probes altering the volume of suitable samples, thereby measuring tip and/or sample wear and friction at the nano/microscale. Thus, single asperity contact, friction, and wear can be investigated. Since friction and wear at the macroscale are the result of asperities interactions, such experiments are of great importance for better understanding of tribological processes.
We review contact mechanics with emphasis on the rheological (time dependent) properties of polymers and their relations to surface roughness, material properties, and friction as well as wear behavior of rubbing polymer surfaces. The main concept of polymer mechanics related to tribology consists of three basic elements involved in friction: deformation resulting in the real area of contact of rough surfaces, contact adhesion, and shear and rupture of materials in the contact during the sliding friction. The results of classical work are included, which addresses the real contact area calculation and the description of adhesion interaction between rough surfaces. A brief review of experimental investigations concerning the surface characterization by means of bearing curves, the intermolecular force interaction using the adhesion parameter, the effect of temperature on the real contact area, the formation of transferred polymer film during friction, and tribological behavior of ultrathin polymer layers are presented and their implications discussed.
Contact formation and development are the basis of friction and wear modelling and understanding. Unanimously topography formation and development in friction contacts are regarded of highest importance for understanding and modelling friction processes. The frequently found running in behaviour of sliding contacts is—aside from the build up of reaction and transfer layers-at least partly caused by the topography development due to friction processes until a stable equilibrium state is reached.
Experimental results of friction and topography measurements are presented which demonstrate the mutual modification of friction and contact topography.
A special experimental set up with an AFM allowed to correlate the measured friction forces with the contact position and the topography at this point. In this way, friction force transitions and changes can be assigned to topography changes due to abrasion, adhesion and wear particle agglomeration.
Contact surfaces with artificial regular structures have been prepared to avoid problems with topography and friction correlation due to the statistical nature of roughness on technical contact surfaces. The friction effects of roughness were simulated by etched ditches of defined width, depth and distance on silicon or metal surfaces. This allowed to explain the mutual influences of topography and friction. The effect of a single asperity and of the 'roughness structures' could be demonstrated.
Topography measurements with an AFM correlated with the friction force could help to understand friction changes without changing any parameter.
Le secteur automobile doit faire face actuellement à de nouveaux challenges au niveau de la construction allégée, des économies de carburant et des coûts. Ces exigences motivent la mise au point de tribosystèmes pouvant résister à des pressions de contact de plus en plus élevées avec de faibles coefficients de frottement. L'optimisation de systèmes existants par l'application de revêtements de surface performants représente une alternative intéressante. Ce texte présente les performances de couches minces dans des conditions d'essais de slip-rolling (roulement à composante de glissement) en présence de lubrifiants liquides. Après une première sélection à température ambiante, les revêtements les plus performants ont été testés à 120 °C. Il s'agit de revêtements DLC en carbone hydrogéné (a-C:H) et en carbone tétraédrique (ta-C) de dernières générations ainsi qu'un nouveau système « revêtement/substrat ». Certains des revêtements DLC développés récemment sont résistants en slip-rolling au moins jusq'à 10 millions de cycles à 120 °C dans l'huile moteur sous des pressions hertziennes de contact de P0max = 2600 / 2940 MPa. De plus, le nouveau système revêtement Zr(C,N)x/substrat peut résister au moins à 1 million de cycles sous des pressions hertziennes initiales de contact allant jusqu'à P0max = 3500 MPa et à des températures de lubrifiant d'au moins 120 °C. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The light-weight approach and fuel economy targets in today's automotive engineering require tribosystems, which can withstand higher contact pressures associated with low coefficients of friction. The application of surface coatings represents one approach among others. This paper presents thin film coatings performances in a bench mark test procedure exerting slip-rolling conditions in the presence of liquid lubricants. After a first selection at room temperature, the most resistant coatings were evaluated at 120 °C. These are newly developed DLC coatings (a-C:H & ta-C) as well as a novel coating-substrate system. Some of the newly developed DLC-coatings are slip-rolling resistant for at least up to 10 million cycles at 120 °C oil temperature) under Hertzian contact pressures of P0max = 2600 / 2940 MPa. Furthermore, this novel Zr-based thin film coating can withstand at least 1 million cycles under initial Hertzian contact pressures of up to P0max = 3500 MPa and oil temperatures of at least 120 °C associated with low coefficients of friction under mixed/boundary conditions.
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are perceived as part of a strategy for low frictional tribosystems. Especially the automotive industry anticipates a benefit in applying such coatings in association with the lightweight construction of mechanical parts, for instance in gear and engine components. Therefore, in previous investigations amorphous carbon (a-C) and tetragonal amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings were inspected. For up to ten million cycles at Hertzian contact pressures P0max of 2.9 GPa it was shown that these coatings are slip-rolling resistant not only at room temperature in the presence of unaddivated paraffin oil, but also up to 120 °C oil temperature. The steel substrates in this investigation were made of the hardened and tempered steels 100Cr6H and Cronidur 30. The aim of the current work is manifold. The Hertzian contact pressures should be increased up to P0max of 4.2 GPa by using new steel metallurgies as substrates for thin film coatings. These steel metallurgies are also assessed, if they can compete as uncoated couples. Two high toughness spring steels and an ultra-high toughness aerospace steel were tested in a twin disc tribometer of the Amsler type as well as in an Optimol 2Disk test rig under mixed/boundary conditions in a factory fill SAE 0W-30 engine oil. Different factors such as influences of the lubrication, surface chemistry and wear behaviour were investigated.
In the present work an approach is presented which combines various aspects of the former models with probability considerations. It is used to simulate the impact of more than one billion Alumina particles onto a steel substrate. This approach permits the simulation of an entire erosion experiment on an average PC within about six hours.
This paper shows how Angle-Resolved Scattering can reveal wear on engineered surfaces. The samples studied, three discs made of steel 100Cr6H used in gear wheels in the automotive industry, were assessed after they had undergone ball-on-disc tests. Scattering maps recorded for spatial frequencies from 0.1 µm-1 to 2.7 µm-1 show a contrast inversion around 0.36 µm-1 revealing the wear trace. Besides measurements of rms roughness, where mean values are 20 nm and 24 nm depending on the locations considered, stationarity and isotropy, we demonstrate the ability of the technique to reveal localized wear on this type of surface in a rapid, robust and convenient way. We show that the tool trace is influenced by the load magnitude rather than by the number of oscillation cycles and highlight the key role played by surface roughness in how the sample responds to wear tests.
Soft polymers such as the investigated polyurethane, characterized by low Young’s moduli and prone to high shear deflection, are frequently applied in pneumatic cylinders. Their performance and lifetime without external lubrication are highly determined by the friction between seal and shaft and the wear rate. FEM simulation has established itself as a tool in seal design processes but requires input values for friction and wear depending on material, load, and velocity. This paper presents a tribological test configuration for long stroke, reciprocating movement, allowing the generation of data which meet the requirements of input parameters for FEM simulations without the geometrical influences of specific seal profiles. A numerical parameter study, performed with an FEM model, revealed the most eligible sample geometry as a flat, disc-shaped sample of the polymer glued on a stiff sample holder. At the same time, the study illustrates that the sensitivity of the contact pressure distribution to Poisson’s ratio and CoF can be minimized by the developed and verified setup. It ensures robust, reliable, and repeatable experimental results with uniform contact pressures and constant contact areas to be used in databases and FEM simulations of seals, enabling upscaling from generically shaped samples to complex seal profiles.
The prediction of the properties of the materials used in the operation of components is of enormous importance, in order to accelerate the development process of new components. To evaluate new materials in terms of their performance (in a component), the development of new innovative methods is necessary. These methods can also be summarized under the term lab-to-field or materials – upscaling, meaning materials being characterised in a laboratory and their properties being upscaled to the component performance by means of e.g. simulation. i-TRIBOMAT is a EU funded project (H2020, GA Nr. 814494) aiming at building an Open Innovation Test Bed for tribological material characterization and offering corresponding services from tribological characterization of new materials to simulation models for predicting the performance of industrial components. By bundling the infrastructure, know-how for characterization and building a digital platform, i-TRIBOMAT becomes the world’s largest open innovation test bed for tribological material characterization.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) with ~500–700 nm period were produced on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surfaces upon scan processing in air by a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. The tribological performance of the surfaces were qualified in linear reciprocating sliding tribological tests against balls made of different materials using different oilbased lubricants. Extending our previous work, we studied the admixture of the additive 2-ethylhexyl-zinc-dithiophosphate to a base oil containing only anti-oxidants and temperature stabilizers. The presence of this additive along with the variation of the chemical composition of the counterbodies allows us to explore the synergy of the additive with the laseroxidized nanostructures.
Commercial grade-1 titanium samples (Ti, 99.6%) were treated using three alternative methods, (i) femtosecond laser processing, (ii) thermal heat treatment, and (iii) electrochemical anodization, respectively, resulting in the formation of differently conditioned superficial titanium oxide layers. The laser processing (i) was carried out by a Ti:sapphire laser (pulse duration 30 fs, central wavelength 790 nm, pulse repetition rate 1 kHz) in a regime of generating laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). The experimental conditions (laser fluence, spatial spot overlap) were optimized in a sample-scanning setup for the processing of several square-millimeters large surface areas covered homogeneously by these nanostructures. The differently oxidized titanium surfaces were characterized by optical microscopy, micro Raman spectroscopy, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, and instrumented indentation testing. The tribological performance was characterized in the regime of mixed friction by reciprocating sliding tests against a sphere of hardened steel in fully formulated engine oil as lubricant. The specific tribological performance of the differently treated surfaces is discussed with respect to possible physical and chemical mechanisms.
In this contribution, chemical, structural, and mechanical alterations in various types of femtosecond laser-generated surface structures, i.e., laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples), Grooves, and Spikes on titanium alloy, are characterized by various surface analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction and glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy. The formation of oxide layers of the different laser-based structures inherently influences the friction and wear performance as demonstrated in oil-lubricated reciprocating sliding tribological tests (RSTTs) along with subsequent elemental mapping by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. It is revealed that the fs-laser scan processing (790 nm, 30 fs, 1 kHz) of near-wavelength-sized LIPSS leads to the formation of a graded oxide layer extending a few hundreds of nanometers into depth, consisting mainly of amorphous oxides. Other superficial fs-laser-generated structures such as periodic Grooves and irregular Spikes produced at higher fluences and effective number of pulses per unit area present even thicker graded oxide layers that are also suitable for friction reduction and wear resistance. Ultimately, these femtosecond laser-induced nanostructured surface layers efficiently prevent a direct metal-to-metal contact in the RSTT and may act as an anchor layer for specific wear-reducing additives contained in the used engine oil.
Laser material processing is an emerging technology that generates surface functionalities on the basis of optical, mechanical, or chemical properties. In the form of laser surface texturing (LST), it has attracted a remarkable amount of research to tailor surface properties towards various tribological applications. The main advantages of this single-step, laser-based technology are the contactless machining, featuring a high flexibility, efficiency, and speed, along with the excellent quality of the processed products. LST can be applied precisely localized to sub-micrometric areas, but, via laser beam scanning, it is also feasible for structuring large surface areas at the square meter size.
This Special Issue focuses on the latest developments concerning the tribological performance of laser-generated periodic surface nano- and microstructures and their applications. This includes the laser-based processing of different surface patterns, such as “self-organized” laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples), grooves, micro-spikes, hierarchical hybrid nano-/micro-structures, microfeatures generated by direct laser interference patterning (DLIP), or even dimples or other topographic geometries shaped by direct laser modification or ablation. The applications of these periodically nano- and micro-patterned surfaces may improve the lubricated or non-lubricated tribological performance of surfaces in conformal and even non-conformal contact through a reduction of wear, a variation of the coefficient of friction, altered load carrying capacity, etc., resulting in energy saving, improved reliability, increased lifetimes as well as durability, leading in turn to extended maintenance intervals/reduced down-time. This can be beneficial in terms of bearings, gears, engines, seals, cutting tools, or other tribological components. Fundamental aspects addressed may involve the investigation of the relevant physical and chemical effects accompanying the laser-generated nano- and microscale topographies, such as alterations of the material structures, the hardness, superficial oxidation, the role of additives contained in lubricants, surface wettability, micro-hydrodynamic effects, etc.
For this Special Issue we aim to attract both academic and industrial researchers and would like to provide a bridge between research in the fields of tribology and laser material processing in order to foster the current knowledge and present new ideas for future applications and new technologies.
The impact of femtosecond (fs) laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on tribological properties was investigated for metal-reinforced ceramic composites (Al2O3-ZrO2-Nb). For this purpose, the metallic niobium (Nb) phase was selectively structured with LIPSS in an air environment with different values of the fs-laser peak fluence by near-infrared fs-laser radiation (λ = 1025 nm, τ = 300 fs, frep = 1 kHz), taking advantage of the different light absorption behavior of ceramic and metal. The tribological performance was evaluated by reciprocating sliding tests in a ball-on-disc configuration using Ringer's solution as lubricant. The surfaces were characterized before and after laser irradiation by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and by measuring the contact angle with Ringer's solution. The LIPSS formation resulted in an increased wetting of the surface with the lubricant. Moreover, the selectively structured composite surfaces revealed a coefficient of friction significantly reduced by a factor of ~3 when compared to the non-irradiated surface. Furthermore, the formation of a laser-induced oxidation layer was detected with NbO as the most prominent oxidation state. Selectively structured composites with outstanding mechanical properties and enhanced tribological performance are of particular interest for biomedical applications.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) were processed on steel (X30CrMoN15-1) and titanium (Ti) surfaces by irradiation in air with linear polarized femtosecond laser pulses with a pulse duration of 30 fs at 790 nm wavelength. For the processing of large LIPSS covered surface areas (5 mm × 5 mm), the laser fluence and the spatial spot overlap were optimized in a sample-scanning geometry. The laser-processed surfaces were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Spatial LIPSS periods between 450 and 600 nm were determined. The nanostructured surface regions were tribologically tested under reciprocal sliding conditions against a 10-mm diameter ball of hardened 100Cr6 steel. Paraffin oil and engine oil were used as lubricants for 1000 sliding cycles at 1 Hz with a normal load of 1.0 N. The corresponding wear tracks were analyzed by OM and SEM. In particular cases, the laser-generated nanostructures endured the tribological treatment. Simultaneously, a significant reduction of the friction coefficient and the wear was observed in the laser-irradiated (LIPSS-covered) areas when compared to the non-irradiated surface. The experiments reveal the potential benefit of laser surface structuring for tribological applications.
Laser texturing is an emerging technology for generating surface functionalities on basis of optical, mechanical, or chemical properties. Taking benefit of laser sources with ultrashort (fs) pulse durations features outstanding precision of machining and negligible rims or burrs surrounding the laser-irradiation zone. Consequently, additional mechanical or chemical post-processing steps are usually not required for fs-laser surface texturing (fs-LST). This work aimed to provide a bridge between research in the field of tribology and laser materials processing. The paper reviews the current state-of-the-art in fs-LST, with a focus on the tribological performance (friction and wear) of specific self-organized surface structures (so-called ripples, grooves, and spikes) on steel and titanium alloys. On the titanium alloy, specific sickle-shaped hybrid micro-nanostructures were also observed and tribologically tested. Care is taken to identify accompanying effects affecting the materials hardness, superficial oxidation, nano- and microscale topographies, and the role of additives contained in lubricants, such as commercial engine oil.
Sub-100-nm laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were processed on bulk titanium (Ti) surfaces by femtosecond laser pulse irradiation in air (30 fs pulse duration, 790 nm wavelength). The laser peak fluence, the spatial spot overlap, and the number of overscans were optimized in a sample-scanning geometry in order to obtain large surface areas (5 mm × 5 mm) covered homogeneously by the LIPSS. The laser-processed regions were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The friction coefficient of the nanostructured surfaces was tested during 1000 cycles under reciprocal sliding conditions (1 Hz, 1.0 N normal load) against a 10-mm diameter ball of hardened 100Cr6 steel, both in paraffin oil and in engine oil used as lubricants. Subsequently, the corresponding wear tracks were qualified by OM, SEM, and energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDX). The results of the tribological tests are discussed and compared to that obtained for near wavelength-sized fs-LIPSS, processed under somewhat different irradiation conditions. Some constraints for a beneficial effect of LIPSS on the tribological performance are provided.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) were generated on stainless steel (100Cr6) and titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surfaces upon irradiation with multiple femtosecond laser pulses (pulse duration 30 fs, central wavelength 790 nm). The experimental conditions (laser fluence, spatial spot overlap) were optimized in a sample-scanning geometry for the processing of large surface areas (5 × 5 mm²) covered homogeneously by the nanostructures. The irradiated surface regions were subjected to white light interference microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealing spatial periods around 600 nm. The tribological performance of the nanostructured surface was characterized by reciprocal sliding against a ball of hardened steel in paraffin oil and in commercial engine oil as lubricants, followed by subsequent inspection of the wear tracks. For specific conditions, on the titanium alloy a significant reduction of the friction coefficient by a factor of more than two was observed on the laser-irradiated (LIPSS-covered) surface when compared to the non-irradiated one, indicating the potential benefit of laser surface structuring for tribological applications.
A correlation of adhesion force and electrical conductivity is established for a vanadium oxide and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Adhesion forces were determined by analysis of pull-off forces obtained from force–distance curves with atomic force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum, on clean surfaces and with defined contact conditions. The investigated samples include (i) different stoichiometries of Magnéli-type vanadium oxides (V3O5, V4O7, V6O11, and V7O13), which undergo metal-insulator-transitions as a function of temperature, (ii) the (0001) basal plane and the (10–10) prism plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), which differ in their respective perpendicular-plane electrical conductivities by several orders of magnitude, and (iii) the (100) surfaces of pure metal single crystals, i.e., silver (Ag), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and gold (Au). It is shown, that the vanadium oxides as well as the graphite exhibit significantly lower adhesion forces in their electrical conductive state than in their non-electrical conductive state. The values obtained for the electrical conductive states are quantitatively confirmed by the measurements on the single crystal metals.
Titanium nitride (TiN) was coated on different substrate materials, namely pure titanium (Ti), titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and steel (100Cr6), generating 2.5 μm thick TiN layers. Using femtosecond laser pulses (30 fs, 790 nm, 1 kHz pulse repetition rate), large surface areas (5 mm × 5 mm) of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with sub-wavelength periods ranging between 470 nm and 600 nm were generated and characterized by optical microscopy (OM), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In tribological tests, coefficients of friction (COF) of the nanostructured surfaces were determined under reciprocating sliding conditions (1 Hz, 1.0 N normal load) against a 10-mm diameter ball of hardened 100Cr6 steel during 1000 cycles using two different lubricants, namely paraffin oil and engine oil. It turned out that the substrate material, the laser fluence and the lubricant are crucial for the tribological performance. However, friction and wear could not be significantly reduced by LIPSS on TiN layers in comparison to unstructured TiN surfaces. Finally, the resulting wear tracks on the nanostructured surfaces were investigated with respect to their morphology (OM, SEM), depth (WLIM) and chemical composition by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and, on one hand, compared with each other, on the other hand, with non-structured TiN surfaces.