Tribological Performance of Nickel-Plated Regular Hexagonal Texture on a Brass Surface Under Boundary Lubrication

Abstract

A novel bio-inspired nickel-plated regular hexagonal texture (NPRHT) was proposed and fabricated by photolithography combined with electroless nickel plating to improve the tribological performance of a shaft/bushing bearing under boundary lubrication. The friction coefficient, wear loss, and wear resistance mechanism of the NPRHT that was fabricated on the brass surface were investigated under line contact sliding. It is found that the nickel-plated textured samples show a lower friction coefficient than the non-textured samples with a maximum reduction of 43.6% at a sliding speed of 0.02 m/s. The wear rate coefficient of the nickel-plated textured sample decreases by 42.86% compared with that of the non-textured sample. The energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirm that the nickel element is transferred from the nickel-plated textured area to the brass zone, resulting in the formation of a Ni/Cu alloy, NiO and Ni2O3 successively. These three films can improve lubricity, repair wear defects, and protect surfaces from oxidation. The experimental results show that the NPRHT provides a novel strategy to manage the friction and wear of shaft/bushing bearings under boundary lubrication.