Tribological behaviors of fullerene-like hydrogenated carbon (FL-C:H) film in different atmospheres sliding against Si3N4 ball

A hydrogenated carbon film was prepared in our laboratory and the analysis of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) shows that the film consists of high curvature fullerene-like rings and fingerprint structures interspersing in amorphous carbon matrix. Friction behaviors of the film sliding against Si3N4 ball were investigated on a ball-on-disk tester in different atmospheres (N2, O2 and air). The results show that the tribological behaviors of the film depend on the testing atmospheres. The film exhibited the highest friction coefficient (0.055) but the lowest wear rate (9.81 × 10−9 mm3/N m) in N2. While the lowest friction coefficient (0.013) and the highest wear rate (2.46 × 10−7 mm3/N m) were obtained in O2. Combining the results of SEM and XPS analyses of the worn surface, the tribological mechanism of the film in different atmospheres were discussed in detail.