Atomic modeling of adhesion, adhesive transfer and friction at aluminum/carbon interfaces

I&EC 113

Yue Qi, yue.qi@gm.com, Materials and Processes Lab, General Motors R&D Center, MC: 480-106-224, 30500 Mound Rd., Warren, MI 48090-9055
The unique tribo-chemical properties of crystalline diamond and amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) have stimulated substantial interests in their application ranging from NEMS/MEMS devices to machining tool coatings. In addition to their low friction and high wear resistance, the anti-sticking property of carbon coatings to the extremely chemical affinitive aluminum has generated interest in using them as coating to reduce adhesion and friction in aluminum alloy forming, machining and being operated under mechanical contacts.

Various Al/carbon interfaces have been studied using Density Functional Theory to reveal the bonding nature and the strength at the interfaces. To predict the adhesive transfer, the Al/carbon interfaces were subjected to a series of tensile strain increments up to fracture. It has been found that Al tends to stick to clean diamond surface, but not the chemically passivated interfaces, on the other hand graphite will transfer to Al surface. The effect from testing atmosphere on the friction behavior of DLC against Al can also be explained through different absorption behaviors of gas molecules at the diamond surface modeled by DFT calculations. These results collectively agree with experimental observations and provide deep insight and guidance for the coating design with minimum adhesion to aluminum.