Wear Behavior of Chemically Bonded Ceramic Coatings Reinforced by MWCNTs–ZnO Hybrid Material

Zinc oxide (ZnO) decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) hybrid material was prepared to improve the tribological performance of chemically bonded ceramic coatings. TEM results reveal that ZnO has been successfully fabricated on the surface of MWCNTs. The tribological performance of the ceramic coatings with MWCNTs–ZnO hybrid material was investigated using a ball-on-disc method. The results show that the friction coefficient and wear rate of the ceramic coatings decrease with the increase of MWCNTs–ZnO hybrid material. The ceramic coatings with MWCNTs-ZnO hybrid material shows a smooth worn surface with less cracks and delamination. In addition, the worn surface of the counterpart ball shows a smaller worn area and a smooth surface. The excellent wear resistance of the ceramic coatings is attributed to the good bonding strength between MWCNTs–ZnO hybrid material and ceramic matrix.