Effects of Laser Bionic Textures and Diamond-like Carbon Coatings on Tribological Properties of CuAl10Fe5Ni5 Under Oil Lubrication

Aluminum bronze (CuAl10Fe5Ni5) is widely utilized in engineering machinery because of its excellent castability and corrosion resistance. However, CuAl10Fe5Ni5 has been unable to meet increasingly demanding working conditions, so researchers have focused on improving its tribological properties. In this study, two bionic textures were designed on a CuAl10Fe5Ni5 surface via laser processing, and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were subsequently deposited on these hexagonal textures. The tribological properties of textured surfaces and DLC coatings in conjunction with textures under various loads were examined through reciprocating friction tests conducted under oil lubrication conditions. The results demonstrate that the textured surface significantly enhances the stability of the CuAl10Fe5Ni5 alloy and effectively reduces friction and wear under various loading conditions. Hexagonal textures exhibit superior anti-friction and wear-resistant compared to other textures. The friction coefficients of the hexagonal textures at higher loads of 15 N and 20 N are 25% and 16% lower than those of the substrate, and the wear rates are 64% and 12% lower, respectively. DLC coatings further improve the tribological properties of CuAl10Fe5Ni5. The friction coefficients of DLC coatings and textured DLC coatings are 25% and 20% lower than those of the substrate, and the wear rates are 95% and 96% lower than those of the substrate, respectively. These results demonstrate that both textures and DLC coatings effectively enhance the tribological properties of CuAl10Fe5Ni5’s surface. The interaction mechanism between textures and DLC coatings can be attributed primarily to secondary lubrication, debris capture by the textures, self-lubricating properties, and increased surface hardness.