TRIBOLOGY OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON AND RELATED MATERIALS - AN UPDATED REVIEW

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) has been studied for many years as a wear-res istant material with low friction coefficient. Its tribological behavi or is strongly affected by the tribotesting environment and is control led by tribochemical effects, which may in turn be dependent on the te chnique used for the deposition of the films. New variations of DLC fi lms, with various dopings, and new deposition methods have been invest igated in recent years. The paper presents an updated review of the tr ibological properties of DLC and related materials, and discusses the mechanisms suggested for the explanation of the wear and friction beha vior of these materials. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.