Tribochemistry of ZDOL Decomposition on Carbon Overcoats in Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV)

Abstract

AbstractTribochemical studies of the effect of lubricant bonding on the tribology of the head/disk interface (HDI) were conducted using hydrogenated (CHx) carbon disk samples coated with perfluoropolyether ZDOL lubricant. The studies involved drag tests with uncoated and carboncoated Al2O3-TiC sliders and also thermal desorption experiments in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) tribochamber. We observed that a larger mobile lubricant portion significantly enhances the wear durability of the (head/disk interface) HDI by providing a reservoir to constantly replenish the lubricant displaced in the wear track during drag tests. In the thermal desorption tests we observed two distinct temperatures of desorption. The mobile ZDOL layer is desorbed at the lower thermal desorption temperature and the residual bonded ZDOL layer is desorbed at the higher thermal desorption temperature. We also observed that the hydrogen evolution from CHx overcoats initiates lubricant catalytic decomposition with uncoated Al2O3/TiC sliders, forming CF3 (69) and C2F5 (119). The generation of Hydroflouric acid (HF) during thermal desorption experiments provides the formation mechanism of Lewis acid, which is the necessary component for catalytic reaction causing Z-DOL lube degradation.