Temperature dependence of diamondlike carbon film tribological characteristics

The tribological characteristics of a diamondlike carbon (DLC) film deposited on high-speed steel were investigated systematically by using a ball-on-flat reciprocating tribometer over a range of temperatures (from -40 degrees to 20 degrees C). The results indicated that the temperature dependence of the DLC film's tribological behavior was associated with the counterpart material. DLC presented favorable tribological behavior while sliding on itself. However, when a steel ball slides against the DLC film, there is evidence that the heat generated has a significant impact on friction and wear. Microanalysis of wear tracks on the films showed that multiple wear mechanisms took place during testing. At higher temperatures, material transfer dominated the wear behavior, while fatigue-induced microcracking was the predominant wear mechanism at low temperatures. Raman analysis indicated that the DLC film was mechanically worn rather than removed by tribochemical interactions between the friction pairs.