Superhydrophilic surface on Cu substrate to enhance lubricant retention

Abstract

The loss of lubricant from the surfaces of critical machine parts often leads to friction and heat-related failures which can cause catastrophic damage to machinery. In this study, the effect of micro- and nano-texturing on lubricant retention was investigated. Micro-textures were produced by sandblasting Cu substrates, while nano-textures were created by aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon. The topography and the wettability of the textured surfaces were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and a video-based optical contact angle measuring system, respectively. The lubricant retention on the textured surfaces was investigated using a dynamic method. It was found that superhydrophilic surfaces created by the combined micro- and nano-texturing technique can significantly enhance the lubricant retention on Cu substrates.

Keywords:

• aluminum-induced crystallization
• amorphous silicon
• superhydrophilicity
• lubricant retention
• Cu substrate

Acknowledgments

We thank the US National Science Foundation (NSF) for its support under grants CMS-0600642 and CMS-0645040. We also thank Dr. Andrew Wang from Ocean NanoTech, LLC, and the Electron Optics Facility (EOF) of the University of Arkansas for equipment use.