Abstract
Abstract Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are known to provide beneficial mechanical and tribological properties in harsh environments. Their combination of high wear resistance and low friction has led to their extensive use in any number of industries. The tribological performance of a DLC coating is varied however, and the frictional response is known to be strongly dependent on the surrounding environment, as well as the material composition and bonding structure of the DLC coating. This paper presents an up-to-date review on the friction of DLC coatings in a water environment, with a special focus on transfer layer formation and tribochemistry.
Highlights
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are of interest in a variety of applications to provide low wear and low friction
In order to understand the mechanisms behind the friction of DLC coatings under water lubrication, much effort has gone into understanding the changes in tribochemistry and their effect on friction
For a DLC coating under water lubrication, the adhesive component of friction is controlled by tribochemical reactions
Summary
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are of interest in a variety of applications to provide low wear and low friction. An excellent review paper by Robertson [3] outlines the deposition methods, atomic structure, bulk properties, and mechanics of DLC coatings. A ternary phase diagram is often used to outline the various categorisations of DLC coatings. The deposition of a DLC coating leads to intrinsic stresses in the carbon matrix. These stresses are known to vary as a function of the bias voltage [5, 6], power density [7, 8], and gas precursor [5]. Modern techniques allow for the deposition of multi-layer or gradient coatings, as well as doping or alloying of a DLC coating, and these are used to reduce internal stresses or to achieve some extra functionality.
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