A study about formation mechanism of tribofilm inducing super lubricity phenomenon

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14879
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 18040:Machine elements and tribology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: Tokuta Yuuki 地方独立行政法人東京都立産業技術研究センター, 開発本部マテリアル応用技術部プロセス技術グループ, 主任研究員 (30633515)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: トライボロジー / コーティング / DLC膜 / 摩擦触媒 / 超低摩擦化現象 / 省エネルギー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated about formation mechanism of tribofilm which induces super lubricity phenomenon in the case of sliding between DLC films and ZrO2 in vaporized ethanol environment. Several research, such as mass spectroscopy on tribofilm formed via friction in vaporized 13C-ethanol environment and Raman spectroscopy on tribofilm which was formed via friction test using various material coupling (Alloys and ceramics other than DLC) in vaporized ethanol environment were performed. From these experimental results, we confirmed that catalytic reaction of ZrO2 (such as dehydration and dehydrogenation) contributed to form the amorphous tribofilm which induce super-lubricity. It is considered that ethanol in friction environment changed to ethylene via dehydration of ZrO2, and ethylene changed to polyethlene via dehydrogenation and polymerization. In last process, we thought that amorphous tribofilm which induces super lubricity was formed via unclarified reaction.

Free Research Field

トライボロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

当該技術は、エタノール蒸気を添加した雰囲気中で非晶質カーボン膜（DLC膜）とジルコニア（ZrO2）を摩擦することで著しい低摩擦化が生じる技術である。すなわち、自動車摺動部品をはじめとした摩擦材料に適用することで、燃費の向上などの省エネルギー化が可能となる。このことから、サステナブル社会の構築の一助となる研究であると考えられる。