• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.307-314
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• 2021

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is difficult to achieve sufficient adhesion because of weak bonding between DLC film and the substrate. The purpose of this study is to improve the adhesion between substrate and DLC film. DLC film was deposited on AISI H13 using linear ion source. To improve adhesion, the substrate was treated by dual post plasma nitriding. In order to define the mechanism of the improvement in adhesive strength, the gradient layer between substrate and DLC film was analyzed by Glow Discharge Spectrometer (GDS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The microstructure of the DLC film was analyzed using a micro Raman spectrometer. Mechanical properties were measured by nano-indentation, micro vickers hardness tester and tribology tester. The characteristic of adhesion was observed by scratch test. The adhesion of the DLC film was enhanced by active screen plasma nitriding layer.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.245-250
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• 2017

In this work, we examine pure water and water with nanoparticles to investigate water lubrication characteristics and the effect of nanoparticles as lubricant additives for different substrates. We test carbon-based coatings and metals such as high-speed steel and stainless steel in pure deionized (DI) water and DI water with nanoparticles. We investigate water lubrication characteristics and the effect of nanoparticles based on the friction coefficient and wear rate for different substrates. The investigation reveals that nanoparticles enhance the friction and wear properties of high-speed steel and stainless steel. The friction coefficient and wear rate of both high-speed steel and stainless steel decreases in DI water with nanoparticles compared with the results in pure DI water. The presence of nanoparticles in water show good lubricating effect at the contact area for both high-speed steel and stainless steel. However, for carbon-based coatings, nanoparticles do not improve friction and wear properties. Rather, the friction coefficient and wear rate increases with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles in case of water lubrication. Because carbon-based coatings already have good tribological properties in a water environment, nanoparticles in water do not contribute toward improving the friction and wear properties of carbon-based coatings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.343-349
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• 2014

Currently, in order to resist the scratching of the fuel rod surface while fabricating the fuel assembly of the light-water nuclear reactor, we use a solution of nitrocellulose, an explosive material, as a dry lubricant along with its solvent. However, the demand for developing safe and harmless aqueous alternative materials for environment-conservation and field-worker safety has increased. In this study, we demonstrate the preparation of a novel aqueous resin composite using a formulation of aqueous polymeric resin, alcoholic solvent, and water. Subsequently, we characterize this composite on the basis of hardness, adhesive property, and water solubility using plates similar to the fuel rod material. The insertion test of a fuel rod coated with the YS-3 composite shows load values of $18.8-20.5kg/cm^2$, which is comparable with $18.8-20.5kg/cm^2$ of the nitrocellulose coating agent. In addition, the depth and width of longitudinal scratches caused by the YS-3 composite test are 50% higher than those of the standard. We can develop a harmless and safe aqueous dry lubricant to replace the existing NC products through field testing of 264 pieces of fuel rods, after producing 350 kg of the YS-3 prototype. The scratch test for the rod surface showed that weight of chip of YS-3 prototype was smaller than that of NC before and after solvent treatment, indicating the properties of YS-3 prototype was comparable to the counterpart.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.4 no.S2
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• pp.40-48
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• 1995

$TiB_2$-TiN double-layer coating have been prepared by ion beam enhanced deposition. AES, XRD, TEM and HRTEM were employed to characterize the $TiB_2$ layer. The microhardness of the coatings was evaluated by an ultra low-load microhardness indenter system, and the tribological behavior was examined by a ball-on-disc tribology wear tester. It was found that in a single titanium diboride layer, the composition is uniform along the depth of the film, and it is mainly composed of nanocrystalline $TiB_2$ with hexagonal structure, which resulted from the ion bombardment during the film growth. The hardness of the $TiB_2$ films increases with increasing ion energy, and approaches a maximum value of the $TiB_2$ films increases with increasing ion energy, and approaches a maximum value of 39 Gpa at ion energy of 85 keV. The tribological property of the TiB2 films is also improved by higher energy of 85keV. The tribological property of the $TiB_2$ films is also improved by higher energy ion beam bombardment. There is no major disparity in the mechanical properties of double-layer $TiB_2$/TiN coatings and TiN/$TiB_2$ coatings. Both show an improved wear resistance compared with single-layer $TiB_2$ films. The adhesion of double-layer coatings is also superior to that of single-layer films.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.263-268
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• 2014

Nanocrystalline diamond(NCD) coated SiC balls were applied in a ball-on-disk tribometer. After seeding in an ultrasonic bath containing nanometer diamond powders, $2.2{\mu}m$ thick NCD films were deposited on sintered 3 mm diameter SiC balls at $600^{\circ}C$ in a 2.45 GHz microwave plasma CVD system. Bare $ZrO_2$ and SiC balls were prepared for comparison as test balls. Tribology tests were performed in air with pairs of three different balls and mirror polished steel(SKH51) disk. The wear tracks on balls and disks were examined by optical microscope and alpha step profiler. Under the load of 3 N, the friction coefficients of steel against $ZrO_2$, SiC and NCD-coated balls were between 0.4 and 0.8. After a few thousands sliding laps, the friction coefficient of NCD-coated balls dropped from 0.45 to below 0.1 and maintained thereafter. Under a higher load of 10 N or 20 N with a long sliding distance of 2 km, $ZrO_2$ and SiC balls exhibited the similar friction coefficients as above. The friction coefficient of NCD-coated balls was less than 0.1 from the beginning and increased to above 0.1 steadily or with some fluctuations as sliding distance increased. NCD coating layers were found worn out after long duration and/or high load sliding test, which resulted in the friction coefficient higher than 0.1.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.189-194
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• 2021

A straightforward, yet effective surface modification method of stainless steel mesh and its interesting anti-wetting characteristics are reported in this study. The stainless steel mesh is electrochemically etched, and the specimen has both micro and nano-scale structures on its surface. This process transforms the two types of mesh specimens known as the regular and dense specimens into hydrophobic specimens without applying any hydrophobic chemical coating process. The fundamental wettability of the modified mesh is analyzed through a dedicatedly designed experiment to investigate the waterproof characteristics, for instance, the penetration threshold. The waterproof characteristics are evaluated in a manner that the modified mesh resists as high as approximately 2.7 times the pressure compared with the bare mesh, i.e., the non-modified mesh. The results show that the penetration threshold depends primarily on the advancing contact angles, and the penetration stop behaviors are affected by the contact angle hysteresis on the surfaces. The findings further confirm that the inexpensive waterproof meshes created using the proposed straightforward electrochemical etching process are effective and can be adapted along with appropriate designs for various practical applications, such as underwater devices, passive valves, and transducers. In general, , additional chemical coatings are applied using hydrophobic materials on the surfaces for the applications that require water-repelling capabilities. Although these chemical coatings can often cause aging, the process proposed in this study is not only cost-effective, but also durable implying that it does not lose its waterproof properties over time.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.235-240
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• 2022

Atomically-thin 2D nanomaterials can be easily deformed and have surface corrugations which can influence the frictional characteristics of the 2D nanomaterials. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene can be grown in a wafer scale, which is suitable as a large-area surface coating film. The CVD growth involves cooling process to room temperature, and the thermal expansion coefficients mismatch between graphene and the metallic substrate induces a compressive strain in graphene, resulting in the surface corrugations such as wrinkles and atomic ripples. Such corrugations can induce the friction anisotropy of graphene, and therefore, accurate imaging of the surface corrugation is significant for better understanding about the friction anisotropy of CVD graphene. In this work, the combinatorial analysis using friction force microscopy (FFM) and transverse shear microscopy (TSM) was implemented to unveil the friction anisotropy of CVD bi-layer graphene. The periodic friction anisotropy of the wrinkles was measured following a sinusoidal curve depending on the angles between the wrinkles and the scanning tip, and the two domains were observed to have the different friction signals due to the different directions of the atomic ripples, which was confirmed by the high-resolution FFM and TSM imaging. In addition, we revealed that the atomic ripples can be easily suppressed by ironing the surface during AFM scans with an appropriate normal force. This work demonstrates that the friction anisotropy of CVD bilayer graphene is well-correlated with the corrugated structures and the local friction anisotropy induced by the atomic ripples can be controllably removed by simple AFM scans.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.253-260
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• 2021

Metal pipes are used in a wide range of applications, from plumbing systems of large construction sites to small devices such as medical tools. When a liquid is enforced to flow through a metal pipe, a higher flow rate is beneficial for higher efficiency. Using high pressures can enhance the flow rate yet can be harmful for medical applications. Thus, we consider an optimal geometrical design to increase the flow rate in medical devices. In this study, we focus on cannulas, which are widely used small metal pipes for surgical procedures, such as liposuction. We characterize the internal flow rate driven by a negative pressure and explore its dependence on the key design parameters. We quantitatively analyze the suction characteristics for each design variable by conducting computational fluid dynamics simulations. In addition, we build a suction performance measurement system which enables the translational motion of cannulas with pre-programmed velocity for experimental validation. The inner diameter, section geometry, and hole configuration are the design factors to be evaluated. The effect of the inner diameter dominates over that of section geometry and hole configuration. In addition, the circular tube shape provides the maximum flow rate among the elliptical geometries. Once the flow rate exceeds a critical value, the rate becomes independent of the number and width of the suction holes. Finally, we introduce a slippery liquid-infused nanoporous surface (SLIPS) coating using nanoparticles and hydrophobic lubricants that effectively improves the flow rate and antifouling property of cannulas without altering the geometrical design parameter.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2023

This study presents a molecular simulation of adhesion control between carbon nanotube (CNT) and Ag thin film deposited on silicon substrate. Rough and flat Ag thin film models were prepared to investigate the effect of surface roughness on adhesion force. Heat treatment was applied to the models to modify the adhesion characteristics of the Ag/CNT interface based on thermal wetting. Simulation results showed that the heat treatment altered the Ag thin film morphology by thermal wetting, causing an increase in contact area of Ag/CNT interface and the adhesion force for both the flat and rough models changed. Despite the increase in contact area, the adhesion force of flat Ag/CNT interface decreased after the heat treatment because of plastic deformation of the Ag thin film. The result suggests that internal stress of the CNT induced by the substrate deformation contributes in reduction of adhesion. Contrarily, heat treatment to the rough model increases adhesion force because of the expanded contact area. The contact area is speculated to be more influential to the adhesion force rather than the internal stress of the CNT on the rough Ag thin film, because the CNT on the rough model contains internal stress regardless of the heat treatment. Therefore, as demonstrated by simulation results, the heat treatment can prevent delamination or wear of CNT coating on a rough metallic substrate by thermal wetting phenomena.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.256-261
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• 2023

This study is conducted to evaluate the durability of superhydrophobic surfaces, with a focus on two aspects: contact angle measurement and self-cleaning-performance analysis. Superhydrophobic copper and aluminum surfaces are fabricated using the immersion method and subjected to a rolling wear test, in which a 2 kg weight is placed on a rolling tester, under loaded conditions. To evaluate their durability, the contact angles of the specimens are measured for each cycle. In addition, the surface deformation of the specimens before and after the test is analyzed through SEM imaging and EDS mapping. The degradation of the self-cleaning performance is evaluated before and after the wear test. The results show that superhydrophobic aluminum is approximately 4.5 times more durable than superhydrophobic copper; the copper and aluminum specimens could endure 21,000 and 4,300 cycles of wear, respectively. The results of the self-cleaning test demonstrate that superhydrophobic aluminum is superior to superhydrophobic copper. After the wear test, the self-cleaning rates of the copper and aluminum specimens decrease to 72.7% and 83.4%, respectively. The relatively minor decrease in the self-cleaning rate of the aluminum specimen, despite the large number of wear cycles, confirms that the superhydrophobic aluminum specimen is more durable than its copper counterpart. This study is expected to aid in evaluating the durability of superhydrophobic surfaces in the future owing to the advantage of performing wear tests on superhydrophobic surfaces without damaging the surface coating.