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A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 11471

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xuan Yin

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: nanolubricants; structure of surface/interface

Dr. Jianxun Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 100096, China
Interests: solid lubrication; friction reduction; diamond-like carbon (DLC) film

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wear-resistant coatings and film materials are essential in many industries, such as manufacturing and aerospace. These coatings and materials provide protection against wear and tear, extending the lifespan and durability of various products.

One of the key benefits of wear-resistant coatings, such as nanomaterials and polyurethane, is their ability to reduce friction. These coatings are commonly used in applications such as bearings. Another advantage of wear-resistant coatings is their ability to resist chemical and environmental degradation. This extends their lifespan and reduces the maintenance costs in harsh environments. Moreover, wear-resistant coatings can also enhance the aesthetic appeal of products with different colors or textures. This is particularly important in automotive and consumer electronics, where design plays a crucial role in customers’ perception. Despite the numerous benefits of wear-resistant coatings, there are also challenges and limitations.

The theme of this Special Issue aims to promote exchange and collaboration within the academic community to explore the latest research findings and future directions in this field. We invite you to submit your research. We look forward to your active participation and believe that your contribution will introduce breakthroughs to this field.

Dr. Xuan Yin
Dr. Jianxun Xu
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nanolubrication
two-dimensional materials
functional polymer
quantum dot materials

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tribological Assessment of Synthetic Grease (PDPLG-2) Derived from Partially Degraded Low-Density Polyethylene Waste

by Divyeshkumar Dave, Yati Vaidya, Kamlesh Chauhan, Sushant Rawal, Ankurkumar Khimani and Sunil Chaki

Lubricants 2025, 13(2), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13020092 - 18 Feb 2025

Viewed by 540

Abstract

This study focuses on addressing the pressing challenge of reusing plastic in an eco-friendly manner. This research aimed to produce synthetic grease through an environmentally friendly pyrolysis technique, utilizing 69% predegraded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) combined with visible-light-working TiO₂ thin film, protein-coated TiO₂ NPs, and Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria in a batch reactor. The optimized conditions of temperature (500 °C) and heating time (2 h) resulted in the creation of 166 gm of partially degraded polyethylene grease 2 (PDPLG2) with National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI 2) grade consistency. PDPLG2 grease exhibits a wide-range dropping point of 280 °C and effectively maintains lubrication under high friction and stress loads, thereby preventing wear. Thermal analysis using TG and DSC validated the grease’s stability up to 280 °C, with minimal degradation beyond this point. Taguchi analysis using substance, sliding speed, and load as factors identified the ideal process parameters as aluminum, 1500 rpm, and 150 N, respectively. The present study revealed that sliding speed has the greatest impact, contributing 31.74% to the coefficient of friction (COF) and 11.28% to wear, followed by material and load. Comparative tribological analysis with commercially available grease (NLGI2) demonstrated that PDPLG2 grease outperforms NLGI2 grease. Overall, this innovative eco-friendly approach presents PDPLG2 as a promising alternative lubricant with improved anti-wear and friction properties, while also contributing significantly to plastic waste reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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16 pages, 3572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Effect of CeO₂ on the Performance of WC + Ni60 Laser Cladding Coating

by Jingquan Wu, Jianwen Zhang, Dianlong Chen, Jiang Huang, Wenqing Shi, Fenju An and Xianglin Wu

Lubricants 2025, 13(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13010024 - 9 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 969

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to examine how CeO₂ powder influences the performance of WC + Ni60 composite powder. Various cladding layers of WC + Ni60, incorporating differing mass fractions of CeO₂, were created on the surface of Q235 steel utilizing laser cladding technology. To analyze the microscopic structure of the resulting cladding layer, scanning electron microscopy was employed. Additionally, the abrasion and corrosion resistance properties were assessed through experimentation with a pin-and-disc friction and wear tester and an electrochemical workstation, respectively. The results of the study showed that when the mass fraction of CeO₂ was 1%, the grain on the surface of the coating was refined, the carbide formation was reduced, and the uniformity of the cladding layer was the best. In terms of corrosion resistance, the coating with 1% CeO₂ had a self-corrosion potential of 0.07 V and a self-corrosion current density of 1.82 × 10⁻⁵ A·cm⁻², showing the best corrosion resistance, and the coating self-corrosion potential was higher than that of the coating and substrate without CeO₂. In terms of abrasion resistance, coatings with 1% CeO₂ had a lower coefficient of friction (0.47) and a smaller wear rate 0.034 mm³, and the wear amount was only 23.5% of that of coatings without CeO₂, resulting in the best wear resistance. In conclusion, coatings containing 1% CeO₂ exhibit the minimal coefficient of friction and the lowest wear rates, while simultaneously providing optimal corrosion resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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13 pages, 51039 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Sliding Speed on Wear Behavior of High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel-Sprayed FeCrMoNiCuBSiC Metallic Glass Coatings

by Lei Qiao, Botao Zhou, Ruifeng Li, Taotao Li, Yue Zhao, Xiaoqiang Zhang and Chul-Hee Lee

Lubricants 2025, 13(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13010010 - 30 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 815

Abstract

A FeCrMoNiCuBSiC metallic glass coating was designed and then deposited by the high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spraying technique. X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, and a microhardness tester were applied to characterize the phase, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the coating. The amorphous phase was the main phase in the coating, and crystal phases were almost undetectable in the XRD results. The coating had a dense structure (the porosity was 1.47 ± 0.32%) and high Vickers microhardness (848 ± 22 HV_0.3). The wear behavior of the coatings sliding against WC-Co was studied with a pin-on-disc wear test system and was compared with that of 316L stainless steel. The coating improved the wear resistance of the steel by around 7–9 times at different sliding speeds. As the sliding speed was increased, the wear loss rate of the steel obviously increased, yet the loss rate of the coating decreased first and then increased. This happened because the contact flash temperature induced by friction increases with the sliding speed, which results in oxidative behavior and crystallization events in the coating. The dominating wear mechanism of the coating is fatigue wear combined with oxidative wear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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17 pages, 29213 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lubrication-Enhanced Mechanisms of Bentonite Grease Using 2D MoS₂ with Narrow Lateral Size and Thickness Distributions

by Shaoyicheng Zhu, Shuo Xiang, Xue Yang, Xin Yang, Hebin Bao, Hao He, Xin Du, Qinhui Zhang, Junjie Zhang, Kai Ma, Yi Cao, Yuehao Liu, Liangyi Peng, Zhitao Li and Yunhong Fan

Lubricants 2024, 12(12), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12120447 - 16 Dec 2024

Viewed by 975

Abstract

2D MoS₂ with narrow lateral size and thickness distributions was introduced to promote the anti-friction and anti-wear properties of the bentonite grease (BG) in a state of boundary lubrication. Optical microscopy (OM), and 3D optical profilers (3D OP), Raman spectrometry (Raman), scanning electron microscope, energy dispersion spectrum (SEM-EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to characterize the wear surface of the GCr15 bearing steel/GCr15 bearing steel contact. It is found that the average friction coefficient (AFC), wear scar diameter (WSD), surface roughness and average wear scar depth of BG + 1.2 wt.% 2D MoS₂ were effectively reduced by approximately 22.15%, 23.14%, 55.15%, and 21.1%, respectilvely, compared with BG under the working condition of 392N, 75 °C, 1 h, and 1200 rpm. Raman, EDS and XPS results jointly demonstrated that a stable adsorbed film and a robust tribochemical film composed of Fe₂O₃, FeSO₄, Fe₂(SO₄)₃, FeSO₃, FeS, FeO and MoO₃, which further contributes to the enhancement of lubrication performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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14 pages, 4233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Molybdenum Addition on the Structure, Mechanical Properties, and Cutting Performance of AlTiN Coatings

by Tao Yang, Jun Yin, Puyou Ying, Changhong Lin, Ping Zhang, Jianbo Wu, Alexander Kovalev, Min Huang, Tianle Wang, Andrei Y. Grigoriev, Dmitri M. Gutsev and Vladimir Levchenko

Lubricants 2024, 12(12), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12120429 - 3 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1014

Abstract

Though AlTiN coating has been intensively studied, there is still a need to develop AlTiN coating to meet the growing demand of industrial machining. One effective way to improve the performance of AlTiN coating is by adding alloying elements. In this study, AlTiN and AlTiMo coatings were deposited using multi-arc ion plating to investigate the influence of molybdenum addition on the structure, mechanical properties, and cutting performance of AlTiN coatings. Spherical droplets formed on the surfaces of both coatings, with the AlTiMoN coating exhibiting more surface defects than the AlTiN coating. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction results revealed the formation of an (Al,Ti)N phase formed in the AlTiN and AlTiMoN coatings. Molybdenum doping in the AlTiMoN coating slightly reduced the grain size. Both coatings exhibited excellent adhesion to the substrate. The hardness (H), elastic moduli (E), H/E, and H³/E² ratios of the AlTiMoN coating were higher than those of the AlTiN coating. The improvement in the mechanical properties was attributed to grain refinement and solution strengthening. Molybdenum doping improved the tribological properties and cutting performance of the AlTiN coatings, which was ascribed to the formation of MoO₃ as a solid lubricant. These results show a path to increase the performance of AlTiN coating through molybdenum addition and provide ideas for the application of AlTiMoN coatings for cutting tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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17 pages, 10275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tribological Properties of 7A04 Aluminum Alloy Enhanced by Ceramic Coating

by Xiaobo Meng, Wei Zhang, Shizhong Wei, Kunming Pan, Xiaodong Wang, Tao Jiang, Xiran Wang, Changji Wang, Chong Chen, Feng Mao, Ziping Qiao, Jun Xue and Cheng Zhang

Lubricants 2024, 12(11), 384; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12110384 - 7 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1038

Abstract

The 7A04 Al alloy is a commonly used lightweight metal material; however, its low wear resistance limits its application. In this study, the wear resistance of this alloy was improved by preparing micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings, MAO/MoS₂ composite coatings, and hard-anodized (HA) coatings on its surface. The friction and wear behaviors of these three coatings with diamond-like coated (DLC) rings under oil lubrication conditions were investigated using a ring–block friction tester. The wear rates of the coatings on the block surfaces were determined using laser confocal microscopy, and the wear trajectories of the coatings were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that, among the three coatings, the MAO/MoS₂ coating had the lowest coefficient of friction of 0.059, whereas the HA coating had the lowest wear rate of 1.47 × 10⁻⁶ mm/Nm. The MAO/MoS₂ coatings exhibited excellent antifriction properties compared to the other coatings, whereas the HA coatings exhibited excellent anti-wear properties. The porous structure of the MAO coatings stored lubricant and replenished the lubrication film under oil lubrication. Meanwhile, the introduced MoS₂ enhanced the densification of the coating and functioned as a solid lubricant. The HA coating exhibited good wear resistance owing to the dense structure of the amorphous-phase aluminum oxide. The mechanisms of abrasive and adhesive wear of the coatings under oil lubrication conditions and the optimization of the tribological properties by the solid–liquid synergistic lubrication effect were investigated. This study provides an effective method for the surface modification of Al alloys with potential applications in the aerospace and automotive industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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16 pages, 8162 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wear Characterization of Cold-Sprayed HEA Coatings by Means of Active–Passive Thermography and Tribometer

by Raffaella Sesana, Luca Corsaro, Nazanin Sheibanian, Sedat Özbilen and Rocco Lupoi

Lubricants 2024, 12(6), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12060222 - 17 Jun 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1135

Abstract

The aim of this work is to verify the applicability of thermography as a non-destructive technique to quantify the wear performance of several high-entropy alloy coatings. Thermal profiles obtained from passive and active thermography were analyzed and the results were correlated with the classical tribological approaches defined in standards. HEA coatings made of several chemical compositions (Al_xCoCrCuFeNi and MnCoCrCuFeNi) and realized by using different cold spray temperatures (650 °C, 750 °C, and 850 °C) were tested in a pin-on-disk configuration, with a dedicated pin developed for the wear tests. Then, the wear performances of each sample were analyzed with the hardness and wear parameter results. The thermal profiles of passive and active thermography allowed a complete characterization of the wear resistance and performance analysis of the coatings analyzed. The results are also compared with those presented in the literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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14 pages, 4249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of Nitrided AISI/SAE 4340 Steel Coated with NiP and AlCrN

by Marcos E. Soares, Qianxi He, Jose M. DePaiva, Bruna M. de Freitas, Paulo Soares, Stephen C. Veldhuis, Fred L. Amorim and Ricardo D. Torres

Lubricants 2024, 12(5), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12050181 - 17 May 2024

Viewed by 1547

Abstract

In this study, novel surface engineering strategies to improve the wear performance of AISI 4340 were investigated. The strategies were as follows: (i) NiP deposition on a previously nitrided steel substrate, followed by NiP interdiffusion heat treatment at either 400 °C or 610 °C (referred to as duplex treatment); (ii) the deposition of AlCrN PVD coating on NiP layers on a previously nitrided steel substrate (referred to as triplex treatment). Prior to the deposition of AlCrN, the NiP was subjected to the interdiffusion heat treatment at either 400 °C or 610 °C. These strategies were compared with the performance of the AlCrN coating directly applied on nitrided steel. To characterize the microstructural features of each layer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were conducted. We also carried out mechanical and tribological behavior assessments. The tribological tests were carried out using a ball-on-disc tribometer under a constant load of 20 N and a tangential speed of 25 cm/s; cemented carbide spheres with a diameter of 6 mm were the counterpart body. The friction coefficient was continuously monitored throughout the tests. The results reveal that the wear mechanism for the AlCrN coating is predominantly oxidative. The most wear-resistant surface architecture was the one comprising AlCrN over the NiP layer subjected to interdiffusion heat treatment at either 400 °C or 610 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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Review

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23 pages, 5380 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanostructure of Superlubricating Tribofilm Based on Friction-Induced a-C:H Films under Various Working Conditions: A Review of Solid Lubrication

by Xuan Yin, Linyuan Mu, Zihang Jia, Haosheng Pang, Chunpeng Chai, Huan Liu, Chang Liang, Bing Zhang and Dameng Liu

Lubricants 2024, 12(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12020040 - 31 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) film has gained widespread popularity as a versatile and important solid lubricant material in the field of tribology. Among various types of DLC films, hydrogen-rich DLC (a-C:H) film as a high-performance material has greatly enhanced anti-friction and anti-wear. However, despite its remarkable capabilities, the surface chemical properties and tribological performance of a-C:H film are significantly influenced by the surrounding environment, in special atmospheric conditions. Its super-slip mechanism involves the participation of hydrogen atoms, which can weaken the normal electron number of the outermost layer of a-C:H film. What is more, it is essential to investigate tribofilms in a vacuum or inert gas environment to ascertain the appropriate tribological properties of a-C:H film, which helps in mitigating oxidation effects. When non-doped DLC films are subjected to friction in a dry nitrogen or argon environment, they create sp³-C-rich transfer films on the contact surface, resulting in macroscopic super-slip effects. This paper aims to introduce and discuss the diverse nanostructures of in situ tribofilms in a-C:H film, focusing on the working environment, and explore the prospective application directions of a-C:H film. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wear-Resistant Coatings and Film Materials)

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