International. A group of researchers from Sintef (an independent research organization) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has invested more than two years in developing a coating that helps damaged metal surfaces recover on their own.
The researchers are testing whether it is possible, when two metal surfaces are in contact with each other, to apply a coating to surfaces made up of hard particles and capsules filled with lubricating liquid. "We applied the lubricant using a thermal spray technique, where the powder and capsules are cooked on the surface using a flame. When the metal surfaces come into contact with each other, the coating breaks down in a controlled manner, releasing the contents of the capsules, and the lubricant then avoids additional friction," said Sergio Armada, of Sintef Materials and Chemistry.
The researchers have carried out a series of tests on sliding bearings in industrial environments, in which friction on surfaces with and without the capsules has been measured. When a capsule-free coating was applied to these bearings, the coefficient of friction was 0.7, while friction was reduced to 0.15 on bearings coated with a layer of capsules.
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