Low friction and high solid-solid contact ratio—A contradiction for laser-patterned surfaces?

Recording of Stribeck-like curves is a common way to study the effect of laser-patterned surfaces on the frictional efficiency. However, solely relying on the coefficient of friction when identifying the lubrication regime and the underlying working principles can be misleading. Consequently, a ball-on-disc tribometer was combined with an electrical resistivity circuit to simultaneously measure Stribeck-like curves and solid-solid contact ratios for polished and laser-patterned samples. Line-like surface patterns with different periodicities were produced by direct laser interference patterning on steel substrates (AISI304). The reference shows a Stribeck-like behavior well correlating with the contact ratios. The behavior deviates for high sliding velocities (high contact ratios) due to a loss of lubricant induced by centrifugal forces pulling the lubricant out of the contact zone. In contrast, the solid–solid contact ratio of the laser-patterned samples is around 80% for all sliding velocities. Those values can be explained by higher contact pressures and the structural depth induced by the surface topography which make a full separation of the surfaces unlikely. Despite those high values for the contact ratio, laser-patterning significantly reduces friction, which can be traced back to a reduced real contact area and the ability to store oil in the contact zone

Applying Ultrashort Pulsed Direct Laser Interference Patterning for Functional Surfaces

Surface structures in the micro- and nanometre length scale exert a major influence on performance and functionality for many specialized applications in surface engineering. However, they are often limited to certain pattern scales and materials, depending on which processing technique is used. Likewise, the morphology of the topography is in complex relation to the utilized processing methodology. In this study, the generation of hierarchical surface structures in the micro- as well as the sub-micrometre scale was achieved on ceramic, polymer and metallic materials by utilizing Ultrashort Pulsed Direct Laser Interference Patterning (USP-DLIP). The morphologies of the generated patterns where examined in relation to the unique physical interaction of each material with ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation. In this context, the pattern formation on copper, CuZn37 brass and AISI 304 stainless steel was investigated in detail by means of a combination of experiment and simulation to understand the individual thermal interactions involved in USP-DLIP processing. Thereby, the pattern’s hierarchical topography could be tailored besides achieving higher process control in the production of patterns in the sub-µm range by USP-DLIP

Interplay between microstructural evolution and tribo-chemistry during dry sliding of metals

Understanding the microstructural and tribo-chemical processes during tribological loading is of utmost importance to further improve the tribological behavior of metals. In this study, the friction, wear and tribo-chemical behavior of Ni with different initial microstructures (nanocrystalline, bi-modal, coarse-grained) is investigated under dry sliding conditions. In particular, the interplay be-tween frictional response, microstructural evolution and tribo-oxidation is considered. Friction tests are carried out using ball-on-disk experiments with alumina balls as counter-bodies, varying the load between 1 and 5 N. The microstructural evolution as well as the chemical reactions beneath the samples’ surface is investigated by means of cross-sections. The samples with finer microstructures show a faster run-in and lower maximum values of the coefficient of friction (COF) which can be attributed to higher oxidation kinetics and a higher hardness. It is observed that with increasing sliding cycles, a stable oxide layer is formed. Furthermore, initially coarse-grained samples show grain refinement, whereas initially finer microstructures undergo grain coarsening converging towards the same superficial grain size after 2,000 sliding cycles. Consequently, the experimental evidence supports that, irrespective of the initial microstructure, after a certain deformation almost identical steady-state COF values for all samples are achieved

Se Nanopowder Conversion into Lubricious 2D Selenide Layers by Tribochemical Reactions

: Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) coatings have attracted enormous scientific and industrial interest due to their outstanding tribological behavior. The paradigmatic example is MoS2 , even though selenides and tellurides have demonstrated superior tribological properties. Here, an innovative in operando conversion of Se nanopowders into lubricious 2D selenides, by sprinkling them onto sliding metallic surfaces coated with Mo and W thin films, is described. Advanced material characterization confirms the tribochemical formation of a thin tribofilm containing selenides, reducing the coefficient of friction down to below 0.1 in ambient air, levels typically reached using fully formulated oils. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations under tribological conditions reveal the atomistic mechanisms that result in the shear-induced synthesis of selenide monolayers from nanopowders. The use of Se nanopowder provides thermal stability and prevents outgassing in vacuum environments. Additionally, the high reactivity of the Se nanopowder with the transition metal coating in the conditions prevailing in the contact interface yields highly reproducible results, making it particularly suitable for the replenishment of sliding components with solid lubricants, avoiding the long-lasting problem of TMD-lubricity degradation caused by environmental molecules. The suggested straightforward approach demonstrates an unconventional and smart way to synthesize TMDs in operando and exploit their friction- and wear-reducing impact

Tribological Performance of Random Sinter Pores vs. Deterministic Laser Surface Textures: An Experimental and Machine Learning Approach

This work critically scrutinizes and compares the tribological performance of randomly distributed surface pores in sintered materials and precisely tailored laser textures produced by different laser surface texturing techniques. The pore distributions and dimensions were modified by changing the sintering parameters, while the topological features of the laser textures were varied by changing the laser sources and structuring parameters. Ball-on-disc tribological experiments were carried out under lubricated combined sliding-rolling conditions. Film thickness was measured in-situ through a specific interferometry technique developed for the study of rough surfaces. Furthermore, a machine learning approach based on the radial basis function method was proposed to predict the frictional behavior of contact interfaces with surface irregularities. The main results show that both sintered and laser textured materials can reduce friction compared to the untextured material under certain operating conditions. Moreover, the machine learning model was shown to predict results with satisfactory accuracy. It was also found that the performance of sintered materials could lead to similar improvements as achieved by textured surfaces, even if surface pores are randomly distributed and not precisely controlled

Low Friction and High Solid-Solid Contact Ratio—A Contradiction for Laser-Patterned Surfaces?

Recording of Stribeck-like curves is a common way to study the effect of laser-patterned surfaces on the frictional efficiency. However, solely relying on the coefficient of friction when identifying the lubrication regime and the underlying working principles can be misleading. Consequently, a ball-on-disc tribometer was combined with an electrical resistivity circuit to simultaneously measure Stribeck-like curves and solid-solid contact ratios for polished and laser-patterned samples. Line-like surface patterns with different periodicities were produced by direct laser interference patterning on steel substrates (AISI304). The reference shows a Stribeck-like behavior well correlating with the contact ratios. The behavior deviates for high sliding velocities (high contact ratios) due to a loss of lubricant induced by centrifugal forces pulling the lubricant out of the contact zone. In contrast, the solid–solid contact ratio of the laser-patterned samples is around 80% for all sliding velocities. Those values can be explained by higher contact pressures and the structural depth induced by the surface topography which make a full separation of the surfaces unlikely. Despite those high values for the contact ratio, laser-patterning significantly reduces friction, which can be traced back to a reduced real contact area and the ability to store oil in the contact zone

Multi-Scale Surface Texturing in Tribology—Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Surface texturing has been frequently used for tribological purposes in the last three decades due to its great potential to reduce friction and wear. Although biological systems advocate the use of hierarchical, multi-scale surface textures, most of the published experimental and numerical works have mainly addressed effects induced by single-scale surface textures. Therefore, it can be assumed that the potential of multi-scale surface texturing to further optimize friction and wear is underexplored. The aim of this review article is to shed some light on the current knowledge in the field of multi-scale surface textures applied to tribological systems from an experimental and numerical point of view. Initially, fabrication techniques with their respective advantages and disadvantages regarding the ability to create multi-scale surface textures are summarized. Afterwards, the existing state-of-the-art regarding experimental work performed to explore the potential, as well as the underlying effects of multi-scale textures under dry and lubricated conditions, is presented. Subsequently, numerical approaches to predict the behavior of multi-scale surface texturing under lubricated conditions are elucidated. Finally, the existing knowledge and hypotheses about the underlying driven mechanisms responsible for the improved tribological performance of multi-scale textures are summarized, and future trends in this research direction are emphasized

Effect of surface termination on the balance between friction and failure of Ti3C2T x MXenes

Abstract Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of Ti3C2T x with three different surface terminations were used to understand friction and failure of MXenes during sliding at normal pressures from 2–20 GPa and temperatures from 300–1100 K. The O-terminated MXene had the smallest shear stress at low pressures and temperatures, but failed at more severe conditions due to interlayer bonding and the formation of Ti–O–Ti bridges between MXene layers. Failure was not observed for the OH-terminated MXene or a heterostructure combining O- and OH-terminations. For these, at less severe operating conditions, shear stress was smaller for the OH-terminated MXene, while the opposite was observed at higher temperatures and pressures. These trends were explained in terms of adhesion and the complex effect of hydrogen atoms that can either facilitate or hinder sliding, depending on the termination and conditions. Results show that friction and failure are affected by and potentially tunable via MXene surface termination

Surface Texturing in Machine Elements − A Critical Discussion for Rolling and Sliding Contacts

Surface texturing has gained great attention in the tribological community since precisely defined surface features can help to reduce friction and/or wear irrespective of the acting lubrication regime. The ability to positively influence tribological performance under different lubrication conditions makes surface texturing particularly interesting for machine elements since they may experience different conditions over the lifetime or sometimes even over one cycle/stroke. However, despite the great effort by both researchers and industry to introduce surface texturing in machine elements, many questions remain unclear regarding the optimal design of surface textures, as well as the positive and negative effects on the component's performance. The aim of this review article is to critically summarize the state of the art of surface texturing applied to machine elements, with a special emphasis on piston rings, seals, roller bearings, and gears. After a brief introduction, the first section focuses on surface texturing in sliding components (piston rings and seals), whereas the second section deals with surface texturing in rolling components (roller bearings and gears). Based upon the main evidence from the literature, the final section provides more general design guidelines for surface texturing in machine elements

Multi-scale surface patterning to tune friction under mixed lubricated conditions

It is well accepted that the tribological performance of surfaces can be directly correlated with their energy efficiency and lifetime. Consequently, surface patterning has gained great attention to manipulate friction and wear under dry and lubricated conditions in the last 2 decades. Inspired by multi-scale surfaces found in nature, direct laser interference patterning (finer cross-pattern) and hot micro-coining (coarser hemispherical patterns) were used to create multi-scale patterns on stainless steel substrates. Using a ball-on-disk set-up, the running-in behavior and the maximum oil film lifetime were characterized for all single- and multi-scale patterns under mixed lubrication. Compared to the polished reference, all patterned surfaces helped to prolong the oil film lifetime. Synergetic effects induced by multi-scale patterns were observed leading to the best performance of the sample combining deep micro-coined patterns (intermediate area density) with the additional laser pattern. As a result of the additional hydrodynamic pressure generated by the finer laser pattern and the oil reservoir effect as well as the entrapment of wear particles induced by the coarser micro-coined pattern, the oil film lifetime was extended by a factor of 200 (200 times)