UTICA, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) President Dr. Winston “Wole” Soboyejo and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu have published a groundbreaking new paper, “Robust Macroscale Superlubricity on Carbon-Coated Metallic Surfaces.” The paper explores an innovative approach to reducing friction on metallic surfaces—a significant advancement that could have major real-world impacts.
The study shows that superlubricity – a virtually frictionless state once thought to be achievable only at the nanoscale – can now be maintained at the macroscale for extended periods under normal atmospheric conditions using carbon coatings sustainably produced from biowaste.
These findings are important for several practical reasons. In the automotive industry, more than 30% of passenger vehicle fuel is used to overcome friction, so these new coatings could help significantly improve fuel efficiency. In manufacturing and industrial machinery, they could help reduce wear, leading to massive cost savings and reducing the 1% to 4% of countries’ GDP spent on friction-related equipment problems. In electronics, friction at a tiny scale can present large-scale challenges that coatings could help mitigate.
“This research could truly impact most industries,” said Dr. Asumadu. “From biomedical to energy to almost every type of manufacturing, this approach could help extend the life of machine parts, reduce maintenance and replacement costs, and create a more sustainable industrial future.”
The paper was published in Applied Materials Today by a group of eight materials scientists collaborating across Africa and the northeastern United States, including Mobin Vandadi, Desmond Edem Primus Klenam, Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa, Emmanuel Gikunoo, Samuel Kwofie and Nima Rahbar.
“My colleagues and I are extremely proud of this work, particularly because of the environmental and economic implications it could have,” said Dr. Soboyejo. “We look forward to seeing the technological advances in friction management that will occur as researchers implement these approaches.”
ABSTRACT
This paper presents experimental and computational results of ultralow (near-zero) friction of carbon-coated metal deposits on structural steel, Ti and Ni alloy substrates. Macroscopic superlubricity was demonstrated and maintained over multiple cycles by structurally misoriented carbon coatings on metal surfaces. Carbon nanocrystals with variants of graphene imprints were deposited on these metal surfaces using a novel high-temperature biowaste treatment process. The carbon nanocrystals deform, flatten and coalesce in the wear tracks to form graphitic films leading to a superlubricating coefficient of friction of about 0.003. A coating life of about 150,000 cycles with reduced wear rates was achieved on Ni and steel substrates. The experiments were validated by atomistic simulations providing mechanistic insights into the effects of graphene variants on the observed frictionless conditions. The underlying mechanisms of coating/substrate interactions contributing to superlubricity at the macroscopic scale are elucidated. Implications of the current results are explored for the design of robust and low-cost macroscopic superlubricant carbon coatings on metallic substrates. Biowaste is a carbon source within a circular economy that uses material recycling to reduce the global carbon footprint.
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