Surface composition-lubrication design of Al2O3/Ni laminated composites-Part I: Tribological synergy effect of micro-dimpled texture and diamond-like carbon films in a water environment

High-performance alumina/nickel laminated composites are highly attractive materials because of their exceptional properties and popularization value. The aim of this study is to fabricate the Al2O3/Ni laminated composites modified by surface texturing and DLC films, and investigate the effect factors on the tribological properties of the materials. Results show that the method is effective in achieving composition-lubrication on the surface of laminated ceramics by laser texture and magnetron sputtering. The friction coefficient can be reduced by nearly one order of magnitude from 0.51 to approximately 0.06, compared to the conventional Al2O3/Ni laminated composites. The synergy effect of regular patterns, DLC films and the lubricants (water) stored in the dimples influence the tribological properties of Al2O3/Ni laminated composites. The area density of the texture plays a key role in the optimization of material properties. The laminated composites with texture density of 5 % and 45 % exhibit the better tribological property also have a good adaptation of working conditions.296