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Frequency-Modulation Atomic Force Microscopic Observation for Ultralow Frictional Solid–Liquid Interface of Diamond-Like Carbon in an Environmentally Friendly Oil

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Abstract

The structure of the low friction solid–liquid interface of the diamond-like carbons (DLCs) in fatty acid was investigated by controlled frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) to elucidate the low frictional mechanism that arises under boundary lubrication. We focused on two factors in particular: the effect of the DLC type and the frictional energy in the structure of the adsorbents at the interface. The FM-AFM results indicate that the ultralow frictional tetrahedral amorphous carbon–fatty-acid interface was composed of a thick boundary film with a high molecular density, which may support the sliding surfaces and thereby reduce the friction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow Grant Number JP16J090430. The authors are extremely grateful to Dr. Hideki Moriguti in NIPPON ITF Corporation to provide the ta-C coating used in this study and Mr. Tetsuya Tamura in KYB Corporation to provide the a-C:H coating.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, 125-8585, Japan

    Hikaru Okubo

  2. Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan

    Shinya Sasaki

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  1. Hikaru Okubo
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  2. Shinya Sasaki
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Correspondence to Hikaru Okubo.

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Okubo, H., Sasaki, S. Frequency-Modulation Atomic Force Microscopic Observation for Ultralow Frictional Solid–Liquid Interface of Diamond-Like Carbon in an Environmentally Friendly Oil. Tribol Lett 67, 3 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-018-1105-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-018-1105-z

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