Inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide nanocoating for friction reduction of nickel-titanium alloys.
OBJECTIVE
To fabricate a friction-reducing coating onto different nickel-titanium (NiTi) substrates using inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide (IF-WS(2)) nanoparticles and to estimate in vitro friction reducing extent of the coating.


METHODS
Different NiTi substrates were coated with cobalt and IF-WS(2) nanoparticles film by the electrodeposition procedure. Coating composition analyses was made by scanning-electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray powder diffractometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Friction evaluation was carried out using standard tribological tests and an Instron system.


RESULTS
Stable and well-adhered cobalt + IF-WS(2) coating of the NiTi substrates was obtained. Friction tests presented up to 66% reduction of the friction coefficient.


CONCLUSIONS
NiTi alloy is widely used for many medical appliances; hence, this unique friction-reducing coating could be implemented to provide better manipulation and lower piercing rates.
Samorodnitzky-Naveh
Gili R
GR
Department of Materials & Interfaces, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Redlich
Meir
M
Rapoport
Lev
L
Feldman
Yishay
Y
Tenne
Reshef
R
D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014414:Tungsten / Q000737:chemistry*
D037741:Fullerenes; C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium; D014414:Tungsten