Sustainable and Green Coatings for Tribological Applications

The selection and application of coatings to enhance the performance, durability, and functionality of surfaces in tribological contacts, where friction, wear, and lubrication are critical factors. Therefore, the objective of this work is to develop sustainable hybrid thick coatings using an eco-friendly material and an innovative melting approach known as liquid additive manufacturing (LAM) process. The main hybrid coating materials used are environmentally friendly silicon carbide (eSiC) and graphene oxide (GO) in the LAM process to achieve the desired coating performance properties. The work encompassed the investigation of hardness, friction, and wear of the LAM-processed coated material, employing a microhardness tester and a universal tribometer. A total of nine samples were prepared with eSiC-GO compositions, current and voltage variables. The experimental results demonstrated that the better hardness and wear rates were achieved with the eSiC-GO formulation of 80–20, current of 80 A and voltage of 15 V. The findings conclude that the hardness and wear of the LAM-processed coated surface were significantly improved with eSiC-GO hybridisation. The findings confirm that this type of thick coating can meet the increasing demands for sustainable and green materials in various industries while providing enhanced performance and durability. By developing coatings with superior tribological properties, this research has the potential to significantly improve the lifespan and performance of components in tribological applications.