Popis: |
The aim of this thesis is to develop a tribocatalytically active solid coating that exhibits strong wear resistance, while also inducing the formation of carbon-based tribofilms when used in a hydrocarbon environment. By using tribocatalytic MoN-Cu synthesized through combinatorial DC reactive magnetron co-sputtering, a gradient between MoN and Cu is deposited and used to determine an ideal Cu composition exhibiting high wear resistance and the formation of a carbon-based tribofilm. To determine the properties of the thin film, various characterization methods were used before and after wear tests from an Anton-Paar pin-on-disk tribometer in a decane or ethanol bath. XRD, SEM, and EDS determined the phase structures and compositions. Nanoindentations and optical profilometry found hardness, Young's modulus, and wear rates. Raman analysis saw carbon presence on the surface of the wear tracks, confirming the formation of carbon tribofilms. For the wear rates, it was found that each fuel had different reactions to the changing Cu at%. From the Raman data, carbon presence, wear rates, and Cu at% did not reveal a strong correlation between the three sets of information. Specifically for the ethanol tracks, the was a connection between a high carbon amount and lower wear rate. It was inconclusive if there was one Cu at% that afforded the most ideal conditions. The information found here has developed the knowledge of MoN-Cu as a solid protective coating, and for using combinatorial DC reactive magnetron co-sputtering as an aid for materials development. |