Influence of droplet-free ta-C coatings and lubrication conditions on tribological performance and mechanical characteristics of WC−Co.

Murasawa, Koki; Diab, Mohamed Ragab; Wang, Mei; Naragino, Hiroshi; Yoshitake, Tsuyoshi; Egiza, Mohamed

Abstract

Cemented carbide (WC−Co) tools suffer from surface abrasion, limiting their performance. This study explores droplet-free tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings deposited via arc ion plating as a solution. The coatings possess a dense, sp3-rich structure, leading to a remarkable hardness of 60 GPa compared to 37 GPa of WC−Co, and strong adhesion with a critical scratch load of 41 N. Tribological tests confirm their effectiveness. Dry sliding tests show reduced wear and lower CoF (0.123) compared to uncoated tools (0.159). Notably, water-soluble lubricants yielded the best performance (lowest CoF: 0.092, superior wear resistance), while water and mineral oil also improved performance.

Citation

MURASAWA, K., DIAB, M.R., WANG, M., NARAGINO, H., YOSHITAKE, T. and EGIZA, M. 2024. Influence of droplet-free ta-C coatings and lubrication conditions on tribological performance and mechanical characteristics of WC−Co. Materials letters [online], 372, article number 137058. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2024.137058

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 20, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 22, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 25, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 25, 2024
• Journal: Materials letters
• Print ISSN: 0167-577X
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-4979
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 372
• Article Number: 137058
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2024.137058
• Keywords: Ta-C coatings; Tribological performance; WC−Co substrates; Arc ion plating; Wear resistance
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2418823
• Additional Information: This article has been published with separate supporting information. This supporting information has been incorporated into a single file on this repository and can be found at the end of the file associated with this output.