New Greaseless Coating Combats Friction and Corrosion

A new grease-free coating battles two major issues facing industrial machinery: friction and corrosion. Designed to take the place of lubricants and oils, a new functional coating has been developed by researchers that relies on platelet-like solid lubricants and platelet-like particles combined in a binder. The new coating was developed by researchers at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM)

How it works

When the coating is applied to a surface, the two components combine and arrange themselves in a pattern resembling roof tiles, creating a transfer film between the coating and the equipment’s metal surfaces. The new coating is suitable as a coating for metals and metal alloys such as steel, aluminum or magnesium.

Protection against corrosion

The roof tile structure not only lowers the coefficient of friction, it also acts as a barrier to protect equipment against corrosion. Corrosion can occur on machinery when moisture or salt penetrate metal surfaces. Normally, surfaces must be cleaned and properly dried before lubricants or oils are reapplied, causing significant downtime for equipment, not to mention potential wear if maintenance is not performed often enough.

In a neutral salt spray context, the researchers’ new composite has a corrosion resistance of over 1000 hours on low-alloy steel. The bonded coating can be applied using classic wet chemistry processes such as spraying or dipping. The roof tile structure forms by simple thermal curing without any further assistance in self-organization.