Tribological properties of ZrO2 nanofilms coated on stainless steel in a 5% NaCl solution, distilled water and a dry environment

ZrO2 films were deposited on a 304 stainless steel surface using the sol-gel method. The wear behaviour of the sample coated with nano-ZrO2 films were tested by tribometry in distilled water, a 5% NaCl solution and a dry environment at room temperature. Simultaneously, a study on the tribological properties of the ZrO2 films was conducted. The results indicated that the average friction coefficient decreased with the increase of the applied load under dry friction and friction in the 5% NaCl solution. Furthermore, the existence of ZrO2 films, distilled water and 5% NaCl solution reduced the average friction coefficients of the sample coated with nano-ZrO2 films. Moreover, adhesive wear and oxidation wear were the primary wear mechanisms of the matrix and coated specimen under dry friction. Nevertheless, for the friction of the coated sample in the distilled water and the NaCl solution, adhesive wear and abrasive wear occurred primarily during friction. Corrosion wear also occurred, and the cutting traces were relatively tidy in the 5% NaCl solution.