Friction and wear properties of diamonds and diamond coatings

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 554 - 559
• Main Author: Hayward, I.P.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 10.12.1991; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Contact of materials. Friction. Wear; Exact sciences and technology; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Friction; Wear; Mechanical characteristic; Roughness; Friction coefficient; Diamond; Wear resistance; Non metal coating; Single crystal; Surface treatment
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/0257-8972(91)90116-E

The recent development of chemical vapor deposition techniques for diamond growth enables bearings to be designed which exploit diamond's low friction and extreme resistance to wear. However, currently produced diamond coatings differ from natural diamond surfaces in that they are polycrystalline and faceted, and often contain appreciable amounts of non-diamond material ( i.e. graphitic or amorphous carbon). Roughness, in particular, influences the friction and wear properties; rough coatings severely abrade softer materials, and can even wear natural diamond sliders. Nevertheless, the best available coatings exhibit friction coefficients as low as those of natural diamond and are highly resistant to wear. This paper reviews the tribological properties of natural diamond, and compares them with those of chemical vapor deposited diamond coatings. Emphasis is placed on the roles played by roughness and material transfer in controlling frictional behavior.