Tribological Aspects of Carbon-Based Nanocoatings - Theory and Simulation

Nanocoatings have the potential to improve the surface properties of various materials. They are of extreme importance for surfaces in sliding contact such as highly stressed engine parts. Here, nanocoatings have to be optimized with respect to low friction properties and a high wear resistance to enhance the energetic and environmental efficiency. An important example are diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, which exhibit high mechanical stability depending on their deposition process. We present an introduction to this field of tribology by giving a short overview on DLC films, on the influence of lubricants from a theoretical point of view and in a broader sense, on basic principles of modeling tribological processes with molecular dynamic methods.