Tribological behaviour of Al<SUB align="right">2O<SUB align="right">3/inorganic fullerene-like WS2 composite layer sliding against plastic

Abstract

With the aim of proposing new materials with good properties for dry sliding contact, aluminium oxide layers Al2O3 with inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide IF-WS2 - were obtained and tested. The results of tribological tests, surface topography measurements and SEM analysis are presented. The top layer of the anodised (porous) aluminium-oxide film was loaded with fullerene-like nanoparticles (NP) of WS2 (IF-WS2). Ethanol (method A) and glycol ethylene (method B) were used as dispersive liquids. The tribological properties were investigated by conducting wear tests of Al2O3/IF-WS2 (inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide) coatings against a TG15 plastic (politertrafluotoethylene - graphite) counter-body under pin-on-plate reciprocating motion in dry contact conditions. Non-parametric statistical ANOVA (by Kruskal-Wallis) showed that Al2O3/IF-WS2 layers (method B) had a higher dispersion of the results of both the friction coefficient and the wear intensity of TG15 material while they were in contact. A lower value of wear intensity and a smaller spread of data predispose the Al2O3/IF-WS2 layer produced by method A more to a sliding contact compared to the layer obtained by method B.