Report of Self-lubricating Al2O3-based nanocomposites

Student: Shubing LU
Module: Nanomaterials (CME8034)
School:
Mechanical
and
Engineering
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Student No: 14049776

Systems

Technical report (Self-lubricating Al2O3-based nanocomposites)

1. Introduction:
Self-lubricating Al2O3-based nanocomposites are being viewed as a new generation of materials widely used in engineering. According
to serial search done by experts, Al2O3-based nanocomposites in essence consist of at least two different components in which one
ingredient is commonly nano-sized Al2O3 particles and other elements may contain metal matrix such as Ni, Ti, Al, Cr or Cu[1].,
ceramics like SiC or polymer. Thanks to the material combination, the Self-lubricating Al2O3-based nanocomposites present the
properties of high weight bearing ratio, high stiffness high elastic modulus, and wear resistance (Tribological behavior and property)
mainly offered by Al2O3 nano-sized particles to overcome the shortcomings of metal matrix [2]. Additionally, it is sparking that Al2O3based nanocomposites showed off the property of toxicity absorbability in the field of environmental friendly [3]. Currently, this type of
nanocomposites is being frequently used in engineering field like automotive industry. Especially, taking advantages of wear resistance
property, the Al2O3 nano-sized particles usually form a layer of coating on the surface of metal matrix to avoid the mechanical wear in
production, whose ultimate products usually are Ni-Al2O3 or Al- Al2O3 composite.
In this report, there are four parts of Preparation, Microstructure, Mechanical and tribological properties introduced.

2. Preparation:
Depending on different components in Al2O3-based composites, the fabrications were variable.

2.1 Electroless plating method (Stirring method)

One of presentitive nano-materials was 5vol.% Al2O3/A206 composite [4], and its fabrication was through semi-solid and liquid

stirring process under the protection of pure argon atmosphere.

Except to 5vol.% Al2O3/A206 composite, another material of NiPAl2O3 nanocomposite coatings [5] was manufactured in

another way for the ground that another sorts of metallic components including Ni and P were added into the precursor of Al2O3
nanocomposite. In detail, since the disc had standard shape, the substrate samples can be told out and selected from mild steel,
and then surface preparation of the sample was through a series of method containing the use of 600-grade SiC paper, degreasing
in an alkaline bath and acetone with intermediate water rinses, respectively. The commercial Ni-P eletroless solution used in
fabrication contained nickel, NaH2PO2 and additive and stabilizer. The plating bath was stirred using a magnetic stirrer. The
plating process was achieved in a double wall beaker surrounded by a thermostated circulating water bath. Finally, Al2O3
particles previously dispersed in some electroless solution under the effect of 1h ultrasound was entered into the plating bath. The
codeposition of Al2O3 nanoparticles lasted for 2h in plating bath, and the modified nanocomposite was ultimately obtained.

2.2 Electrode position method (Composite electroplating)

The method of electrode position is a way to integrate the Al2O3 with extra metallic matrix, like mainly-used Ni, Cu, Cr, physically and
chemically changing the properties of Al2O3 nanocomposites. According to many experts[6-8], the plating electrolyte for
electrodeposition was a Watts-type bath, and Al2O3 was applied as reinforcing phase. In detail, the polished substrate of Ni matrix and
copper foil respectively as anode and cathode (Fig.1)were placed in electrolytic solution uniformly containing Al2O3 nano-particles, and
after the treatments of long-time magnetic sirring and ultrasonic dispersing, the Ni matrix with Al2O3 began to be obtained under the
effect of 2h or electro co-deposition. Every condition such as temperature, pH value or ion concentration of bath was optimized in
experiment. Based on the research by H. Gl et al. [6], the electrode position methods were assorted into two methods, namely
conventional direct current (DC) electroplating and pulse current (PC) plating, resulting from the different application of current.

Fig. 1: Both of two electrodes were placed in plating bath.

2.3 Hot pressing method

In a piece of research by Parchoviansk, M. et al. [9], the Al2O3/SiC nanocomposite was prepared via mixing a sub-micron Al2O3
powder with nano-sized silicon carbide powders, the mixture of which was hot pressed, and all the reaction processed in the atmosphere
of Ar with suitable conditions that the temperature was 1740 and pressure was 30MPa.

2.4 Vacuum coating method

In accordance with Wang, Zhijiang et al. [10], the formation of Al2O3/PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)composite coating came true via
vacuum coating technology where coating samples immersed into water-based PTFE suspension were placed into a vacuum oven,
deposited and heated for a long period.

3. Microstructure:
Base on the extra ingredients such as added into nanosized Al2O3, the internal structure of Al2O3-based nanocomposites are variable.
For instance, after the evaluation of the effect of duty cycle on morphological properties of Ni-Al2O3 composite coating, in which the
ingredient of Ni was electrodeposited to the surface of Al2O3 substrate.
As the Fig. 2 indicated, as a result of ultrasonic agitation the Al2O3 particles were distributed uniformly in nickel matrix in all composite
coating, and a truncated pyramidal structure with big-sized grains, which is a typical morphology for Ni deposited coatings, were also
presented in Fig.3. Internally (Fig.4), Al2O3 particles could forme five layers of cross section, in which the volume percentage of Al2O3
decreased from innermost layer to topmost layer . (Fig.5)

Fig. 2 and 3: Both of the two pictures showed the different layers of surface morphology of composite
coatings, and first picture represented the top layer with the second one representing the
second layer.

Fig. 4: This picture represented the five different layers of

nano-sized coating with different amount of Al2O3 particles
from the angle of cross section, and the leftmost substrate was
Ni matrix.

Fig. 5: In this picture, the hardness of nanocomposite was

positively related to the amount of Al2O3 particles in
layers.

Additionally, the microstructure of Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites by Parchoviansk, M. et al.[9] differed from the Ni-Al2O3
nanocomposites. In term of its structure, it was illustrated that SiC content increased with the mean size of Al2O3 decreasing. Among
different outcomes, the composite AS 15c contained SiC particles situating both along the grain boundaries and inside the Al2O3 matrix
grains (Fig. 6), and AS 15f had the SiC particles dispersing mainly within the Al2O3 matrix grains (Fig.7 ).

Fig. 6 and 7: Both of the two pictures represented microstructure of Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites.

4. Mechanical and tribological properties:

Al2O3-based nanocomposites in general performs a series of properties, namely improved hardness and tensile strength, and excellent
wear resistance ability, all of which are mainly focused in this part.

4.1 Hardness
Speaking of hardness of Al2O3-based nanocomposites, Al2O3 is a contributory factor to the increasing of microhardness. In a research by
Alirezaei, S. et al. [5], the reinforcement content showed a direct relationship with hardness of Ni-P-Al2O3 coating with the property of
lubricity, the microhardness value dropped due to the rising content of alumina micronsized particles, on the contrary, when the content of
Al2O3 nanosized particles in coating increased, total hardness of coating, to some extent, indicated a higher value than the one without
Al2O3 nanosized particles. As the Fig.8 shown, under both as-plated and heat-treated condition the microhardness value had an obvious
decrease when Al2O3 content varied from 150 to 500 mg/L, however, the total hardness property of modified coating with any content of
nanosized Al2O3 was comparatively better than the one having a lack of Al2O3.

Fig. 8: In this picture, owing to the increase to Al2O3 content, the

hardeness value of nanocomposite rose obviously.

4.2 Tensile strength

There was a distinctive improvement on tensile strength, when the particle size of Al2O3 alters into nanometer, S. Tahamtan et al. [4]
showed when measured by application of load, more damages appeared in the particle-rich regions in the Al/A206Al2O3 nanocomposite
fabricated by researchers rather than in the particle lacking regions that were full of Al2O3 nanocomposites. The scientific explanation for
this phenomenon was that the strength of particle-rich regions dramatically dropped because of high amount of Al2O3 microsized
particles, further performing a low bearing ability to resist load when experiencing high load of tension.

4.3 Tribological behavior and property

Al2O3-based nanocomposites occupy a well-performing wear resistance property compared with other one-ingredient matrix like Ni, for
example, in a piece of research by Chen, Li et al. [11] , Ni-Al2O3 composite obtained from electrodeposition was

observed to have lower wear rates than pure Ni coating.

It was interesting that the property is affected by the conditions in experiments, the electrodeposition in particular. Current density is
related to wear and friction properties of Al2O3-based nanocomposites. Drawing NiAl2O3 nanocomposite coatings as an example, in
the research by Gl, H. et al. [6], the nanocomposite coatings were put into two groups in which one group of coating was PC (pulse
current) -deposited with another being synthesized by DC (direct current) -deposited method, after analysis, the PC -deposited group
contained more Al2O3 nanosized particles than another group. Consequently, the PC-deposited NiAl2O3 composite coatings
withstood wear better than DC-deposited coatings via the testing of a reciprocating b all-ondisk CSM tribometer (Fig. 9 and

10), and it was because that the both increase to Al2O3 nanosized particle content and homogenous
particle distribution had already influenced the tribological behavior. Moreover, another influent factor
attributed to growing Ni matrix grain size that increased wear resistance in the PC-deposited coating
owing to higher Ni matrix grain size improving plastic deformation energy absorbability and preventing
microcrack formation.

Fig. 9 and 10: The first picture represented the wear rate of DC with second one representing the wear rate of PC.

5. Conclusion:
Al2O3-based nanocomposites belong to novel engineering materials. Different Al2O3-based nanocomposites were manufactured via
different physical and chemical method, and present a series of mechanical and tribological properties. howcver, at present, a large
amount of scientists and experts are making effect to largely improve the properties of Al2O3-based nanocomposites and widen their
application rangements.

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