Research Symposium

BIO

Katherine Miller is a first-year mechanical engineering student at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering from Clearwater, FL. She has a strong interest in space exploration, with a research focus on investigating materials for effective spacecraft lubrication. Outside of research, Katherine is an accomplished musician, playing the flute and bagpipes as a member of the FSU Marching Chiefs and the City of Dunedin Grade Two Pipe Band. After completing her undergrauate studies, Katherine plans to complete a master's degree in aerospace engineering and embark on a career advancing spacecraft technology.

Tribological Performance of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) in Extreme Environments

Abstract

Effectively lubricating spacecraft has posed a major challenge for scientists and engineers for many years. Due to extreme environmental conditions including varying temperatures, radiation exposure, and microgravity, many traditional lubricants fail to function properly in this realm. As spacecraft must be able to operate for decades without repair or maintenance, scientists rely on solid lubricants for durability and protection in these extreme conditions. Dry film lubricants are solid materials applied to surfaces in thin layers to reduce friction and wear between surfaces. Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) is an advantageous solid lubricant for aerospace applications due to its high hardness, low friction, and its stability across a wide temperature range. This experiment seeks to evaluate the integrity of the tribological properties of DLC in extreme temperature environments. DLC was deposited on 440C stainless steel substrates via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A custom linear reciprocating tribometer was used to conduct friction and wear experiments to measure the performance of these coatings at 20 and -60°C. Finally, a white light interferometer was used to image and analyze the surface of the samples where friction and wear experiments were conducted. A 3D rendering of the surface is made and the total volume of material removed from the surface is measured. This poster documents the effectiveness of DLC coated 440C stainless steel in a cold and inert environment.

Keywords: Engineering, Aerospace, Friction, Lubrication, Tribology