Preparation of flame sprayed poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) coatings and their tribological properties under water lubrication

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) coatings were prepared on AISI-1045 steel via flame spraying. The chemical changes of the FEP powder occurring during the spraying process were analyzed by means of Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. The flame spraying of the FEP powders under the chosen conditions did not lead to structural changes related to degradation and oxidation. The friction and wear behaviors of the FEP coatings sliding against AISI-52100 steel ball under dry- and water-lubricated conditions were investigated using a ball-on-disc test rig, and the worn surface morphologies of the coatings were also observed using the scanning electron microscope. The FEP coatings recorded smaller friction coefficients under water lubrication than under dry sliding. However, the wear rate of the coating under water lubrication was about two times of that under dry sliding. This indicated that water as a lubricant was able to effectively reduce the friction coefficient but it led to an increased wear rate of the FEP coatings/steel sliding pairs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) results illustrate that the transfer film did formed during the dry sliding but it is hindered under water lubrication, and it might be the major cause of the larger wear rate under the water lubrication.