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Completed TRL 2 (started at 2, targeting 3)
A key component of mechanical systems aboard all space missions are ball bearings. A ball bearing is composed of two races with balls pressed between them to allow for low friction rotation. When designing a ball bearing for space applications it is important to use a material that can withstand the harsh environments of space travel. The large and chaotic forces of launch to the cold vacuum of space are too much for most terrestrial bearing materials. The material chosen must, also, be compatible with lubricants to reduce energy costs and to extend the life of the mechanical system. A promising new alloy for ball bearings is the novel Nickel Titanium 60 (NiTi60) shape memory alloy. NiTi60 has high hardness, low modulus of elasticity, and is corrosion resistant. From a material view, these are great properties, however, little is known about this material’s compatibility with solid lubricants under very low pressure. In the proposed research the effectiveness of the solid lubricants Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS_2), and Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) is sliding contact with NiTi60 will be measured. Tribology is the study of friction, wear, and lubricants. Scientists in this field use tribometers to collect friction and wear data by measuring how much force is required to slide two countersurfaces against each other. A custom multi-stage tribometer housed in a vacuum chamber will simulate sliding in cryo-vacuum atmosphere while simultaneously producing multiple data sets. One of the surfaces will be 440C steel, a common bearing race material, and NiTi60 substrates coated with the mentioned solid lubricants. The second surface will be 440C steel, silicon nitride ceramic, and NiTi60 spheres. The friction and wear measured in these orientations will display the compatibility of NiTi60 with solid lubricants in cryo-vacuum conditions.
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