Tribological Comparison of Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Application on Combustion Piston Rings
Source abstract
Abstract
This article compares the tribological performance of coatings produced by PVD sputtering. Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) coatings doped with carbon (WSC and MoSeC) and nitrogen (WSN and MoSeN) and a conventional diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating are compared. The tribological evaluation was oriented towards the use of coatings on piston rings. Block-on-ring tests in a condition lubricated with an additive-free polyalphaolefin (PAO 8) and at temperatures of 30, 60, and 100 °C were carried out to evaluate the coatings in boundary lubrication conditions. A load scanner test was used to evaluate dry friction and scuffing propensity. In addition to WSN, all other TMD coatings (WSC, MoSeC, and MoSeN) exhibited lower friction than DLC in dry and lubricated conditions. The study reveals that WSC, among TMD coatings, offers promising results, with significantly lower friction levels than DLC, while demonstrating reduced wear and a lower risk of metal adhesion. These findings suggest that WSC may be a viable alternative to DLC in piston rings, with potential benefits for reducing fuel consumption and increasing engine durability.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Tribology and Wear Analysis · Metal and Thin Film Mechanics · Lubricants and Their Additives
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Laboratory of Tribology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Osvaldo Aranha, 99, Porto Alegre 90035-190, RS, Brazil
University of Coimbra, CEMMPRE, ARISE, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
CIDEM, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
IPN-LED & MAT-Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laboratory of Tests, Wear and Materials, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra, Portugal
Soete Laboratory, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 46, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Laboratory for Tribology and Interface Nanotechnology, University of Ljubljana, Bogišićeva 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Funding
FEDER funds through the COMPETE program—Operational Program on Competitiveness Factors and by national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology · Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) · Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—Brasil (CNPq)
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