Effects of texture diameter and depth on the tribological performance of DLC coating under lubricated sliding condition

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 356; pp. 1135 - 1149
• Main Authors: Arslan, A., Masjuki, H.H., Varman, M., Kalam, M.A., Quazi, M.M., Al Mahmud, K.A.H., Gulzar, M., Habibullah, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.11.2015
• Subjects: Amorphous hydrogenated DLC coating; Coating; Coefficient of friction; Diamond-like carbon films; Dimpling; Graphitization; Laser surface texturing; Sliding; Surface layer; Texture; Texturing; Tribology; Wear; Coefficient of friction; Laser surface texturing; Amorphous hydrogenated DLC coating; Wear; Graphitization
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.08.194

•Texture improve tribological behavior of oil lubricated amorphous hydrogenated DLC.•Wear coefficient reduced up to 89.7% for textured amorphous hydrogenated DLC.•Wear induced graphitization lowered for textured amorphous hydrogenated DLC.•Hardness deterioration by graphitization reduced for textured hydrogenated DLC.•Deep dimples are detrimental in boundary/starved regime for non-conformal contact. In this study, the effect of surface texturing parameters on the tribological performance of amorphous hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) under oil lubrication has been investigated. Micro dimples were created on a substrate by using a picosecond laser. After surface texturing was performed, amorphous hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating was deposited through magnetron sputtering. Dimple diameter varied from 50μm to 300μm, and dimple depth varied from 6μm to 30μm. Results show that at respective dimple diameter and depth of 100μm and 6μm, surface texturing improved the tribological performance of the amorphous hydrogenated DLC coating. Whereas, at a higher dimple diameter of 300μm and dimple depth of 30μm, the tribological performance of textured amorphous hydrogenated DLC was worse than that of un-textured amorphous hydrogenated DLC. The performance enhancement in the case of dimple diameter and depth of 100μm and 6μm can be due to micro textures, which can serve as a lubricant reservoir at the interface during sliding and remove wear particles from the contact. However, this beneficial mechanism could be obtained at an optimum texture diameter and depth.