Length scale effects on the fretting wear of DLC coating system
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Fretting of diamond-like carbon coatings has been widely studied, but previous nano- and micro-scale methods could not track true sliding amplitude or fretting-regime evolution in real time. This work introduces a nano-fretting methodology implemented on an ultra-low-drift nanomechanical platform, enabling continuous measurement of real track length and on-load displacement during accelerated fretting tests. Multilayer DLC coatings were tested using sphero-conical diamond probes with radii of 15 µm and 163 µm across elastic, partial-slip, gross-slip and full-sliding regimes. Mechanical properties were measured by partial-load nanoindentation, followed by reciprocating nano-fretting. Continuous depth sensing allowed separation of elastic, plastic and wear contributions, while local dissipated energy density was derived from friction-displacement loops. Complementary nano-scratch tests provided contact radii and pressure estimates. Results show a strong length-scale dependence: blunt contacts exhibit stable, energy-controlled mild wear, whereas sharp contacts undergo pressure-activated transitions and accelerated coating failure, with dissipated-energy wear coefficients.
Source: Tribology International
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,390
OpenAlex ID: W7154748438