Tribological behavior of temperature dependent environment friendly thermal CVD diamond coating

doi:10.1016/j.diamond.2019.05.003

Diamond and Related Materials

Volume 96, June 2019, Pages 148-159

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diamond.2019.05.003 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Successful deposition of environment friendly thermal CVD diamond coating.
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FESEM, Raman spectra and HRXRD result confirms presence of diamond coating.
•
Contribution % of COF: sliding velocity (75.49%), temp. (12.93%), load (8.09%).
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Contribution % of residual stress: temp. (57.01%), SV (33.04%), load (5.14%).

Abstract

In the present work, we have successfully demonstrated the deposition of environment friendly diamond coating on a steel substrate using thermal CVD process for piston ring application. The FESEM, Raman spectra (at 1332.4 cm⁻¹) and HRXRD. The peak witnessed at 2Ɵ = 43.9⁰ and 75.3^o indexed to (111) and (220) cubic phased diamond respectively, while the peak witnessed at 2Ɵ = 44.6⁰ and 82.6^o indexed to (103) and (1012) hexagonal phased diamond, confirms the presence of diamond coating with excellent tribological performance (COF) and good mechanical properties (residual stress). The aim of present work is to optimize the tribological properties and wear mechanism of thermal CVD diamond coating using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array (OA). The significant process parameters for COF according to their contribution in percentage of sliding velocity (75.49%) was highest followed by temperature (12.93%) and load (8.09%). The highest percentage contribution for percentage (%) change in residual stress was of temperature (57.01%) followed by sliding velocity (33.04%) and load (5.14%).

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Over the years, many researchers have shown concern about ways to improve the ecological efficiency, environmental awareness, and maintaining higher power output in automobiles. Researchers have been aiming at enhancement of fuel efficiency and reduction of global fossil resources with minimal lubricant usage. A study reveals that almost 30% of the total fuel energy is consumed during piston-cylinder functioning [1]. Therefore, innovative techniques like surface engineering/coating, have been widely used to reduce friction and wear in engine components and achieving good load bearing capacity, higher corrosion resistance as well as higher thermal stability [2]. Etsion et al. [3] in his research, used laser surface texturing for improving fuel efficiency and energy usage in piston ring, and observed that almost 4% fuel consumption was reduced with laser textured piston rings. Another study based on thermal sprayed titanium suboxide coating shows almost similar wear performance and friction in comparison to commercial available Mo based coating [4]. Tung et al. [5] explored fully formulated engine oils and observed that DLC (diamond like carbon) coating had low friction and wear, compared to other coatings (thermal sprayed CrN, chrome plated stainless steel) on cylinder liner. DLC coating using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process can be used to enhance coefficient of friction (COF) and wear in piston cylinder arrangement and also to improve piston ring life [6].Unfortunately, DLC coating also results in abrupt spalling due to increase in internal stress [7]. CVD diamond coating shows excellent wear property with self-lubricating property and higher hardness [8]. The nano/micro size diamond particles are ideally used to enhance wear resistance and hardness of developed coating [9]. Shenderova et al. [10] and Petrova et al. [11] examined that incorporated diamond particles severely affect both wear resistance as well as friction of substrate material. A comparative study investigated that diamond coating shows excellent corrosion resistance as well as abrasion resistance than normal coatings [[12], [13], [14]]. In previous studies, not many researchers have explored the effect of isolated diamond coating on friction coefficient, corrosion resistance and also on abrasive wear resistance of thermal CVD diamond coatings.

The environment friendly thermal CVD diamond coating on steel substrate was selected by keeping in mind their application in the field of piston ring. Taguchi L₉ orthogonal array (OA) has been used for optimization of the tribological properties of developed coating, with temperature, sliding velocity and load as process parameters. The process conditions of diamond coating produced was analyzed in term of COF, and percentage (%) change in residual stress. Calculation and prediction of optimum process parameters was done by using raw data and signal to noise ratio (S/N) of analysis of variance (ANOVA). The aim of this work was to find out the optimal conditions for COF, and percentage (%) change in residual stress of developed diamond coating. From the present research study, the information will be advantageous to explore the opportunity of using diamond coating in order to achieve a lower coefficient of friction, and lesser percentage change in residual stress.

Section snippets

Materials and method

High-quality diamond film was deposited on mild steel substrate using thermal-CVD at controlled temperature and reduced atmospheric pressure. Table 1 shows the chemical composition of mild steel substrate. In the adopted process, initially the steel substrates were pre-treated (cleaned) using conc. Sulphuric acid and acetone for 7–10 min and simultaneously sugarcane produced sugarcane bagasse (SBg) was put in the split furnace at atmospheric pressure and controlled 550 °C temperature, to

Microstructural characterization

Fig. 2(a–b) depicts presence of sp³ hybridized carbon with growth of isolated diamond crystallites. Further, examination of surface confirmed smooth faceted with secondary nucleation growth [16]. Krishnia and Tyagi [16], have also reported that thermal CVD diamond coating shows the presence of isolated diamond crystallites with smooth faceted growth. It was also noted that presence of hexagonal diamond, cubic diamond or isolated diamond crystallites formed hard structured carbon coating on the

Conclusions

In the present work, we have successfully demonstrated the deposition of environment friendly diamond coating on a steel substrate using thermal CVD process. The FESEM, Raman spectra and HRXRD results confirm the presence of diamond coating with excellent tribological performance (lowest COF). Tribological behavior of diamond coating was studied using temperature, sliding velocity and load as process parameters and following conclusions can be computed from the present study:

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It is possible to

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Tribological behavior of temperature dependent environment friendly thermal CVD diamond coating

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and method

Microstructural characterization

Conclusions

Tribol. Int.

Wear

Wear

Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater.

Thin Solid Films

Diam. Relat. Mater.

Diam. Relat. Mater.

Appl. Surf. Sci.

Diam. Relat. Mater.

Spectrochim. Acta A

Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater.

Diam. Relat. Mater.

Mater. Chem. Phys.

Thin Solid Films

Surf. Coat. Technol.

Wear

Carbon

Appl. Surf. Sci.

Surf. Coat. Technol.

Wear

Diam. Relat. Mater.