Machine parts wear if there is friction between their metal surfaces. Lubricants and functional oils help prevent this; however, they attract dirt, debris, and dust, and form lumps or become resinous over time. Machine parts then have to be intensively cleaned and regreased, which leads to more frequent maintenance, greater consumption of resources, polluting waste, and machine breakdowns. To address this, researchers at the INM-Leibniz Institute for New Materials (Saarbrucken, Germany) have developed a functional coating that simultaneously lubricates without grease and protects against corrosion. It is suitable as a coating for metals and metal alloys such as steel, aluminum, or magnesium. The leading characteristics of the low-friction coating are its composition and structure. The researchers incorporated platelet-like solid lubricants and platelet-like particles in a binder. When this mixture is applied to a surface, it produces a well-ordered structure with the various particles arranged in a roof tile pattern. This forms a transfer film between the low-friction coating and the object, which allows surfaces to slide with a minimum of friction.
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