Wear life and adhesion of solid lubricant films on laser-textured steel surfaces

Incorporation of solid lubricant into micro-reservoirs produced by laser surface texturing (LST) and its effect on the adhesion and wear life of burnished films is studied. In order to improve the adhesion between the ground steel and the MoS(2) burnished film, a sub-layer of nanoparticles was burnished on a virgin steel surface. Ultrasonic radiation (sonochemical synthesis) was used for synthesis of nanostructured materials. Some types of nanoparticles of sulfides and selenides as MoSe, MoSe(2)/C core-shells, PbSe, ZnSe, WSe, CdZnSe, MoS(2), WS(2) and Ni core-carbon shells were chosen for the analysis of their friction and adhesion properties. The adhesion and wear life of solid lubricant films were evaluated. Some types of the friction and wear rigs were used for the evaluation of the adhesion and the wear life of burnished layers. The burnished CdZnSe film showing maximum value of the friction coefficients was chosen as the materials providing the best adhesion. MoS(2) Particles were burnished on the surface of CdZnSe sub-layer. The adhesion between MoS(2) and CdZnSe films was analyzed. The strong transfer of the MoS(2) layers on the surface of the CdZnSe film was observed. The wear life of a MoS(2) film on a steel substrate was compared with similar films on the CdZnSe sub-layer. The wear life of the MoS(2) film on a sub-layer was more than twice as long as that for a MoS(2) film on a steel substrate. The study of the friction and wear behaviour of CdZnSe + MoS(2) films on LST surfaces confirm the results of the experiments on ground steel surfaces. The increase in the wear life is explained by the high adhesion and density Of MoS(2) film burnished on a CdZnSe sub-layer. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.