Laser Structuring and DLC Coating of Elastomers for High Performance Applications

Preprints.org

Abstract

Even though hard, low friction coatings such as diamond like carbon (DLC) would be beneficial for the per-formance and longevity of rubber seals, a crucial challenge – as graphically illustrated in Figure 1.a – remains. The elastic mismatch of rubber substrate and DLC coating prevents a fracture free coating application. In this work a nature inspired approach (Figure 1.b) is applied to render the stiff coating flexible and resilient to delamination at the same time by direct patterning. Rubber substrates were laser structured with tile patterns and subsequently DLC-coated. Tensile and tribology tests were performed on structured and unstructured samples. Unstructured DLC-coatings showed a crack pattern induced by the coating process, which was further fragmented by tensile stress. Coatings with tile patterns did not experience a further fragmentation under load. During continuous tribological loading, less heterogenous damage is produced for tile structured samples. The findings are ascribed to the relief of induced coating stress by the tile structure, meaning a more resilient coating.

Authors 6

1. Sönke Vogel corresponding Aachen Chair for Laser Technology LLT

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Laser Technology LLT , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen ;

   Chair for Laser Technology LLT, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen;

2. Andreas Brenner Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology , Aachen ;

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Aachen;

3. Bernadette Schlüter

   Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for mecanics of materials , Freiburg ;

   Fraunhofer Institute for mecanics of materials, Freiburg;

4. Bernhard Blug

   Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for mecanics of materials , Freiburg ;

   Fraunhofer Institute for mecanics of materials, Freiburg;

5. Franziska Kirsch

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF , Darmstadt ;

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, Darmstadt;

6. Tamara van Roo

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF , Darmstadt ;

   Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, Darmstadt;