The properties of lubricated friction pairs with diamond-like carbon coatings

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the properties of diamond-like carbon DLC coatings with ionic liquids and cutting fluid containing zinc aspartate used as lubricants. The DLC coatings (a-C:H) were deposited onto the 100Cr6 steel substrate by physical vapour deposition PVD. The surface morphology testing, cross section and chemical composition analyses of the DLC coatings were performed using the scanning electron microscope, equipped with an EDS microanalyzer. Surface geometry measurements prior to and after tribological tests were performed on a confocal microscope with interferometry. The tribological tests were carried out on an Anton Paar TRB3 tribometer under technically dry friction and lubricated conditions with an ionic liquid, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide and cutting fluid with zinc aspartate. The results show that DLC coatings and ionic liquids can significantly reduce resistance to motion.