Nanoscale deposition of Group IVB elements on anodized surfaces to reduce friction

Reduction of dry friction losses is among top technical priorities. Recently, nanoscale deposition of Ti layers on anodic alumina demonstrated unusually low dry friction, but no clear comparison to other elements had been provided. In this study, magnetron sputtering and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) were used to form nanometric layers of Cu, Cr, Hf, Nb, Ti, Zr and their oxides on several types of anodic alumina. Elements of IVB group were more...