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.
The influence of temperature and counterbody material on the tribological properties of a-C:H
coatings deposited on Cronidur 30 steel has been investigated in a lubricated ball on disk
contact situation with alpha-alumina and silicon nitride as counterbodies. The results show, that the wear volumes of the systems increase exponentially with increasing temperature, for alpha-alumina more than for silicon nitride. Two different wear mechanisms seem to have a
major influence: First, the abrasive action due to materials hardness and second, the tribo-oxidation when silicon nitride is counter material.
Three different contact geometries, ball on disk and two different settings with crossed cylinders have been investigated with regard to the agreement of the results of the tribological quantities determined by each method. The material combination was α-alumina as upper specimen and steel 100Cr6 as lower specimen. For each of the contact geometries 5 independent measurements were carried out and evaluated independently. The agreement between the single results of coefficient of friction and the coefficient of system wear as well as between the different groups and conditions are good. Largest scatter of the results were found in the dry air regime where both friction and wear depend strongly on the relative humidity. However, comparison of the absolute values of the coefficient of wear between the ball on disk contact geometry on one side and the 2 crossed cylinder contact geometries on the other side reveals a significant difference in that the ball on disk results are lower by about a factor of two. The results document also a high degree of repeatability of single wear tests.