AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Advanced Surface Engineering Friday Sessions
       Session SE2-FrM

Invited Paper SE2-FrM9
The Relation of Tribochemistry to Superlubricity in DLC Films

Friday, November 17, 2006, 10:40 am, Room 2007a

Session: Wear Mechanisms, Tribochemistry and Nanotribology
Presenter: A. Erdemir, Argonne National Laboratory
Authors: A. Erdemir, Argonne National Laboratory
O.L. Eryilmaz, Argonne National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
Diamondlike carbon (DLC) films have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years, mainly because of their exceptional mechanical and tribological properties. Systematic studies of such films in our laboratory over the past 15 years have led to the development of a new class of carbon films that can provide friction coefficients of 0.001 to 0.005 and wear rates of 10-11 to 10-10 mm3/N.m when tested in inert-gas or high-vacuum environments.@footnote 1@ Comprehensive studies over broad test conditions and environments have shown that the unique friction and wear behavior of these films is very sensitive to the type and extent of tribochemical interactions that occur when certain gaseous species are present in the surrounding atmosphere. Among others, oxygen and water molecules were found to have the strongest adverse effects on their friction and wear. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, we determined the chemical states of their sliding surfaces and correlated these findings with their super-low friction behavior in inert gases and high-friction behavior in oxidizing and moist environments.@FootnoteText@@footnote 1@Synthesis of diamondlike carbon films with superlow friction and wear properties, A. Erdemir, O. L. Eryilmaz, G. Fenske, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, 18(2000)1987-1992.