The impact of dopants (B, H) on the mechanical behavior and tribological performance of DLC film under water lubrication

The tribological behaviors of diamond like carbon films are affected by the surrounding environment. To improve the properties of DLC films, element doping or structural design were carried out. In this work, the B&H co-doped DLC films were successfully deposited on 316 L substrate and Si wafer by closed filed unbalanced magnetron sputtering equipment and studied the effect of H content on the mechanical and tribological properties of the B&H co-doped DLC films. The results indicate that B&H-DLC-2sccm film has the best mechanical performance and adhesive force. Besides, for the friction properties, B&H-DLC-2sccm film has the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate after sliding against Si3N4 ball. This study provides another solution to improve the water lubrication effect of mechanical parts.