International. Researchers in Saarbruecken, Germany, developed a low-friction coating by combining two properties: it shows lubrication properties similar to grease and oil and protects it from corrosion. The new material is suitable for coating metals and metal alloys, such as steel, aluminum or magnesium.
"What's really special about our low-friction coating is its composition and structure. We have incorporated lubricants in platelets as solid state and platelets as particles in a binder. When the compound is applied on a surface, a well-organized microstructure is formed, in which the various particles are organized into an imbricated structure," said Carsten Becker-Willinger, division chief of the "Nanomere" program.
"Only through the special ratio of the components, our compound has a very low coefficient of friction. If you use only the lubricant in the solid state, the coefficient of friction would be considerably high," said the researcher.
The low-friction coating can be applied by using the conventional wet chemistry process, such as spray or immersion coatings. In simple thermal curing, the imbricate structure is formed in self-organization without further interference.
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