Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel

This paper presents a low-cost and innovative method for treating high temperature biowaste to create an ultra-low friction carbon-based coating on AISI 1045 steel. Utilizing carbon from Manihot esculenta biowaste, graphene variants were deposited on substrates at 500 °C and 900 °C. The microstructu...

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Main Authors: Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu, Mobin Vandadi, Desmond Edem Primus Klenam, Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa, Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Emmanuel Gikunoo, Nima Rahbar, Samuel Kwofie, Winston Oluwole Soboyejo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Materials & Design
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003363
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author Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu
Mobin Vandadi
Desmond Edem Primus Klenam
Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah
Emmanuel Gikunoo
Nima Rahbar
Samuel Kwofie
Winston Oluwole Soboyejo
author_facet Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu
Mobin Vandadi
Desmond Edem Primus Klenam
Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah
Emmanuel Gikunoo
Nima Rahbar
Samuel Kwofie
Winston Oluwole Soboyejo
author_sort Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents a low-cost and innovative method for treating high temperature biowaste to create an ultra-low friction carbon-based coating on AISI 1045 steel. Utilizing carbon from Manihot esculenta biowaste, graphene variants were deposited on substrates at 500 °C and 900 °C. The microstructure and mechanical/tribological properties were studied pre- and post-treatment. These include Vickers hardness and wear characteristics that were measured with a ball-on-disk wear tester. Increasing treatment temperature and time resulted in high substrate hardness. The graphene variants were characterized using Raman spectroscopy with discernible trends D and G band trends. The I2D/IG and ID/IG intensity ratios varied as the treatment conditions changed. Electron backscatter diffraction, X-ray diffraction, optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy provided insights into phases and microstructural features. Tribological tests showed remarkable ∼95.20 % reduction with a superlubricious coefficient of friction of ∼0.0015 and ∼88 % decreased wear rate for substrates treated for 5 h at 900 °C. The graphene platelet and multiwalled defective structures on the substrates transformed into graphene oxide and graphene nanocrystals providing the needed solid lubrication. The underlying mechanisms are discussed before elucidating the implications of the result for the design of rigorous, novel carbon coatings for frictionless and ultralow-wear surfaces in a circular economy.
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spelling doaj-art-7f75c9e67ac54ea2a741b746526ce43b2025-08-20T02:38:30ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-05-0125311391610.1016/j.matdes.2025.113916Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steelTabiri Kwayie Asumadu0Mobin Vandadi1Desmond Edem Primus Klenam2Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa3Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah4Emmanuel Gikunoo5Nima Rahbar6Samuel Kwofie7Winston Oluwole Soboyejo8Department of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Department of Materials Engineering, Sunyani Technical University, Box 206, Sunyani, Ghana; Department of Civil Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, USA; State of University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Engineering, 100 17 Seymour Road, Utica, NY 13502, USADepartment of Civil Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, USANext Frontiers in Advanced Materials Lab, School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, WITS, 2001 Johannesburg, South AfricaDepartment of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Materials Engineering, Sunyani Technical University, Box 206, Sunyani, GhanaDepartment of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA, USA; Corresponding authors.Department of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaState of University of New York Polytechnic Institute, College of Engineering, 100 17 Seymour Road, Utica, NY 13502, USA; Corresponding authors.This paper presents a low-cost and innovative method for treating high temperature biowaste to create an ultra-low friction carbon-based coating on AISI 1045 steel. Utilizing carbon from Manihot esculenta biowaste, graphene variants were deposited on substrates at 500 °C and 900 °C. The microstructure and mechanical/tribological properties were studied pre- and post-treatment. These include Vickers hardness and wear characteristics that were measured with a ball-on-disk wear tester. Increasing treatment temperature and time resulted in high substrate hardness. The graphene variants were characterized using Raman spectroscopy with discernible trends D and G band trends. The I2D/IG and ID/IG intensity ratios varied as the treatment conditions changed. Electron backscatter diffraction, X-ray diffraction, optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy provided insights into phases and microstructural features. Tribological tests showed remarkable ∼95.20 % reduction with a superlubricious coefficient of friction of ∼0.0015 and ∼88 % decreased wear rate for substrates treated for 5 h at 900 °C. The graphene platelet and multiwalled defective structures on the substrates transformed into graphene oxide and graphene nanocrystals providing the needed solid lubrication. The underlying mechanisms are discussed before elucidating the implications of the result for the design of rigorous, novel carbon coatings for frictionless and ultralow-wear surfaces in a circular economy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003363Macroscale superlubricityGraphene nanocomposite filmBiowaste high temperature treatmentRaman spectroscopy
spellingShingle Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu
Mobin Vandadi
Desmond Edem Primus Klenam
Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa
Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah
Emmanuel Gikunoo
Nima Rahbar
Samuel Kwofie
Winston Oluwole Soboyejo
Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
Materials & Design
Macroscale superlubricity
Graphene nanocomposite film
Biowaste high temperature treatment
Raman spectroscopy
title Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
title_full Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
title_fullStr Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
title_full_unstemmed Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
title_short Superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon-coated AISI 1045 steel
title_sort superlubricity enabled by graphene nanocomposite film on carbon coated aisi 1045 steel
topic Macroscale superlubricity
Graphene nanocomposite film
Biowaste high temperature treatment
Raman spectroscopy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003363
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