• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.124-132
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• 2020

The effect of the stoichiometry on the sliding wear properties of NiAl coatings has been investigated. Three different powder mixtures with the compositions of Ni-50at%Al, Ni-54at%Al and Ni-42at%Al were diepressed respectively, and which were subsequently coated on mild steel through combustion synthesis in an induction heating system. Sliding wear behavior of the coatings was examined against an alloyed tool steel using a pin-on-disc type sliding wear test machine. As results, it could be seen that powder mixture(Ni-54at%Al) with displaying Al-rich deviations from the stoichiometry of NiAl(Ni-50at%Al) was promoted the most the synthetic reactivity. The microstructure of the coating layer with the compositions of Ni-54at%Al exhibits the porous NiAl single phase structure. However, the microstructure of the coating layer of the compositions of Ni-42at%Al exhibits the denser multi-phase structure containing several intermediate phases in addition to NiAl. Densification of the coating layer was enhanced by increasing the reacting temperature. On the other hand, the wear properties of the coating layers showed that the wear mode at speeds of around 1 m/s was severe wear, regardless of the stoichiometry and reacting temperature. However, wear properties of coating layer with the compositions of Ni-42at%Al were superior to those of coating layer with the compositions of Ni-54at%Al. This would be attributed by the fact that coating layer with the compositions of Ni-42at%Al develops little void and much intermediate phases with high strength.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.389-395
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• 2019

In various industries, thin film coatings are used to improve friction and wear characteristics. Various types of tribotesters are used to evaluate the friction and wear characteristics of such thin film coatings. In this study, we fabricated a micro-tribotester and Tribo-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare the friction and wear characteristics of copper (Cu) coatings under an atmospheric pressure and a vacuum condition, respectively. The reliability of the different types of tribotesters was evaluated by performing calibrations for the sensor to measure the friction forces and normal loads. Using the two different types of devices, the friction and wear tests are conducted at the same experimental conditions excluding environment conditions such as the atmospheric pressure and vacuum condition. The friction coefficient at the vacuum condition is lower than at the atmospheric pressure. This difference in friction characteristics is due to the fact that wear phenomena occur differently according to the atmospheric pressure and vacuum condition. At the atmospheric pressure, the abrasive wear is the main wear mechanism. At the vacuum condition, the adhesive wear is the main wear mechanism. The reason for the difference in the wear mechanism of the Cu coating at the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum condition is that the oxidation phenomenon, which does not appear at the vacuum condition, occurs at the atmospheric pressure; therefore, the characteristics of the Cu coating change accordingly.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2014

The friction behaviors of bulk amorphous thermal spray coating (BAC) and second phase-reinforced composite coatings using a high velocity oxy-fuel spraying process were investigated using a ball-on-disk test rig that slides against a ceramic ball in an atmospheric environment. The surface temperatures were measured using an infrared thermometer installed 50 mm from the contact surface. The crystallinities of the coating layers were determined using X-ray diffraction. The morphologies of the coating layers and worn surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the friction behavior of the monolithic amorphous coating was sensitive to the testing conditions. Under lower than normal loads, a low and stable friction coefficient of about 0.1 was observed, whereas under a higher relative load, a high and unstable friction coefficient of greater than 0.3 was obtained with an instant temperature increase. For the composite coatings, a sudden increase in friction coefficient did not occur, i.e., the transition region did not exist and during the friction test, a gradual increase occurred only after a significant delay. The BAC morphology observations indicate that viscous plastic flow was generated with low loads, but severe surface damage (i.e., tearing) occurred at high loads. For composite coatings, a relatively smooth surface was observed on the worn surface for all applied loads.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.62-68
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• 2015

A magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a smart material whose rheological behavior can be controlled by varying the parameters of the applied magnetic field. Because the damping force and shear force of an MR fluid can be controlled using a magnetic field, it is widely employed in many industrial applications, such as in vehicle vibration control, powertrains, high-precision grinding processes, valves, and seals. However, the characteristics of friction caused by iron particles inside the MR fluid need to be understood and improved so that it can be used in practical applications. Surface process technologies such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are widely used to improve the surface friction properties. This study examines the friction characteristics of an MR fluid with different surface process technologies such as PTFE coatings and DLC coatings, by using a reciprocating friction tester. The coefficients of friction are in the following descending order: MR fluid without any coating, MR fluid with a DLC coating, and MR fluid with a PTFE coating. Scanning electron microscopy is used to observe the worn surfaces before and after the experiment. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to analyze the chemical composition of the worn surface. Through a comparison of the results, the friction characteristics of the MR fluid based on the different coating technologies are analyzed.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.235-240
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• 2018

Superlubricity refers to the lubrication phenomenon that occurs when the friction coefficient is lower than 0.01. In recent years, this phenomenon has received a significant amount of attention because it can greatly contribute to the reduction of economic and environmental losses caused by friction and wear. In the case of acid lubricants, only ceramic materials can be used for superlubricity, and it takes a long running-in period to enter the superlubricity regime. In this work, we investigated the superlubricity effect of vitreous enamel coating on SUS304. We also examined the running-in period of vitreous enamel coating under phosphoric acid lubricant condition with respect to surface treatments. Drying and polishing methods were used to treat the vitreous enamel coating on the specimen. The friction experimental results revealed that superlubricity could be achieved with vitreous enamel coating. It was also found that the drying and polishing methods can significantly reduce the running-in period and improve the wear properties of vitreous enamel coating. In particular, the polishing method shortened the running-in period by approximately 99% and reduced the wear rate by approximately 99%, compared to nontreated vitreous enamel coating.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2021

As opposed to using fossil fuels, we need to use eco-friendly resources such as sunlight, raindrops and wind to produce electricity and combat environmental pollution. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a device that converts mechanical energy into electricity by inducing repetitive contact and separation of two dissimilar materials. During the contact and separation processes, electron flow occurs owing to a change in electric potential of the contacting surface caused by contact electrification and electrostatic induction mechanisms. A solid-solid contact TENG is widely known, but it is possible to generate electricity via liquid-solid contact. Therefore, by designing a hydrophobic TENG, we can gather electricity from raindrop energy in a feasible manner. To fabricate the superhydrophobic surface of TENGs, we employ a dip coating technique to synthesize an octadecylamine (ODA)- and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based coating on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The synthesized coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with a contact angle greater than 150° and generates a current of 2.2 ㎂/L while water droplets fall onto it continuously. Hence, we prepare a box-type TENG, with the ODA/PDMS coating deposited on the inside, and place a 1.5 mL water droplet into it. Resultantly, we confirm that the induced vibration causes continuous impacts between the ODA/PDMS coating and the water, generating approximately 100 pA for each impact.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.315-319
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• 2020

In various fields, several studies based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been conducted. The results of previous studies, wherein CNT coatings have been incorporated as solid lubricants, demonstrate that the friction and wear characteristics of CNT coatings can be improved through the absorption/dispersion of the contact pressure by controlling the stiffness of the nanomesh structure comprising CNT strands. In this study, the friction and wear characteristics of the following are compared: CNT coating formed by spin coating of CNT solution, compressed CNT coating, and compressed/heated CNT coating (wherein CNT strands are squeezed through compression and/or heating). It is observed that the friction coefficient of the CNT coating having the largest number of voids between the CNT strands is significantly lower than those of the compressed CNT coating and the compressed/heated CNT coating. The wear tracks of the compressed CNT coating and the compressed/heated CNT coating indicate that some parts become torn or adhere into a lump. However, in the case of the CNT coating, a smooth wear surface is formed by rubbing. Furthermore, as the void space between the squeezed and adhered CNT strands decreases, the resistance to structural deformation increases, thereby resulting in an increased frictional force and a wear pattern that becomes torn or forms a lump. Hence, the results obtained from this study corroborate that the friction and wear characteristics of CNT coatings can be enhanced through the absorption/dispersion of the contact pressure by controlling the stiffness of the nanomesh structure of CNT coatings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.136-142
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• 2022

This paper investigates the enhanced wear performance of a CrAl coated accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding. In the wake of the Fukushima accident, extensive research on ATF with respect to improving the oxidation resistance of cladding materials is ongoing. Since coated Zr claddings can be applied without major changes to the criteria for reactor core design, many researchers are studying coatings for claddings. To improve the quality of the CrAl coating layer, optimization of the manufacturing process is imperative. This study employs arc ion plating to obtain improved CrAl coated claddings using CrAl binary alloy targets through an improved coating method. Surface roughness and adhesion are improved, and droplets are reduced. Furthermore, the coated layer has a dense and fine microstructure. In scratch tests, all the tested CrAl coated claddings exhibit a superior resistance compared to the Zr cladding. In a fretting wear test, the wear volume of the CrAl coated claddings is smaller compared to the Zr cladding. Furthermore, the coated cladding manufactured through the improved process exhibits better wear resistance than other CrAl coated claddings. Based on these results, we suggest that fine microstructure is attributed to a mechanically and microstructurally robust CrAl coating layer, which enhances wear resistance.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.190-196
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• 2023

Anti-adhesion coatings are very important in the processing of adhesive materials such as optical clear adhesive (OCA) films. Choosing the appropriate release coating material for dies and tools can be quite challenging. Hydrophobic surface treatment is usually performed, and its performance is often estimated by the static water contact angle (CA). However, the relationship between the release performance and the CA is not well understood. In this study, the water CAs of surfaces coated with anti-adhesion materials and the peel strengths of the acrylic-based adhesive films are evaluated. STC5 and SUS304 are selected as the base materials. Base materials with different surface roughnesses are produced by hairline finishing, mirror-polishing, and end milling. Four fluoropolymer compounds, including a self-assembled monolayer, are selected to make the base surface hydrophobic. Static, advancing, and receding CAs are mostly increased due to the coating, but the CA hysteresis is found to increase or decrease depending on the coating material. The peel strengths all decreased after coating and are largely dependent on the coating material, with significantly lower values observed for fluorosilane and perfluoropolyether silane coatings. The peel strength is observed to correlate better with the static CA and advancing CA than with the receding CA or hysteresis. However, it is not possible to accurately predict the anti-adhesion performance based on water CA alone, as the peel strengths are not fully proportional to the CAs.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.103-110
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• 2024

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) are oil-free self-acting hydrodynamic bearings that support axial loads with a low friction during airborne operation. They need solid lubricants to reduce dry-friction between the runner and top foil and minimize local wears on their surfaces during start-up and shutdown processes. In this study, we evaluate the lift-off speeds and load capacity performance of a GFTB with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface coating by measuring drag torques during a series of experimental tests at increasing ambient temperatures of 25, 75 and 110℃. An electric heat gun provides hot air to the test GFTB operating in the closed booth to increase the ambient temperature. Test results show that the increasing ambient temperature delays the lift-off speed and decreases the load capacity of the test GFTB. An early developed prediction tool well predicts the measured drag torques at 60 krpm. After all tests, post inspections of the surface coating of the top foil are conducted. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images imply that abrasive wear and oxidation wear are dominant during the tests at 25℃ and 110℃, respectively. A quantitative energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis reveals that the weight percentages of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen decrease, while that of fluorine increases significantly during the highest-temperature tests. The study demonstrates that the increasing ambient temperature noticeably deteriorates the static performances and degrades the surface coating of the test GFTB.