DLC coated spur gears – Part II: coating properties and potential for industrial use
Industrial Lubrication and Tribology
ISSN: 0036-8792
Article publication date: 12 May 2021
Issue publication date: 2 June 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to address the coating and compound analysis of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on steel, to understand the frictional behavior in tribological gear systems presented in paper Part I. Here, the Ti and Zr modified DLC coating architectures are analyzed regarding their chemical, mechanical and thermophysical properties. The results represent a systematic analysis of the thermal insulating effect in tribological contact of DLC coated gears.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach was to evaluate the effect of the substitution of Zr through Ti at the reference coating ZrCg to TiCg and the effect on thermophysical properties. Furthermore, the influence of different carbon and hydrogen contents on the coating and compound properties was analyzed. Therefore, different discrete Ti or Zr containing DLC coatings were deposited on an industrial coating machine. Thereby the understanding of the microstructure and chemical composition of the reference coatings is increased.
Findings
Results prove comparable mechanical properties of metal modified DLC independent of differences in chemical compositions. Moreover, the compound adhesion between TiCg/16MnCr5E was improved compared to ZrCg/16MnCr5E. The effect of hydrogen content Ψ and carbon content xc on the thermophysical properties is limited by Ψ = 18 at.% and xc = 90 at.%.
Practical implications
The findings of the combined papers Part I and II show a high potential for industrial application of DLC on gears. Based on the results DLC coatings and gears can be tailored to each other.
Originality/value
Systematic analysis of DLC coatings were conducted to evaluate the effect of titanium, carbon and hydrogen on thermophysical properties.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The presented results are based on the research project IGF 18490 undertaken by the Research Association for Drive Technology e.V. (FVA); supported through the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations e.V. (AiF) in the framework of the Industrial Collective Research Programme (IGF) by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) based on a decision taken by the German Bundestag. The authors would like to thank for the sponsorship and support received from the FVA, AiF and the members of the project committee.
The authors would also like to express their thanks to the research center Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany, for the chemical analysis of the coatings.
Citation
Bobzin, K., Brögelmann, T., Kalscheuer, C., Thiex, M., Schwarz, A., Ebner, M., Lohner, T. and Stahl, K. (2021), "DLC coated spur gears – Part II: coating properties and potential for industrial use", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 73 No. 4, pp. 621-634. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-07-2020-0256
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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