Tribological Performances of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings for Hydraulic Applications

Abstract

The tribological performance of contacts within hydraulic pumps over a wide range of conditions is essential for the sustainability of mobile hydraulic systems. To reduce the energy consumption of hydraulic systems, mechanical losses and wear rates need to be reduced. Additionally, materials containing lead must also be replaced due to their environmental impact. In this study, the performance of different lead-free combinations of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (hydr. DLC) coatings were investigated. For this purpose, the tribological behavior of hydr. DLC (Balinit DLC), ceramic-doped hydr. DLC (Balinit C), and ceramic bond-coated hydr. DLC (Balinit DLC Star) coatings on a nitride steel substrate were compared in tribometer tests.