Due to extreme working conditions of mining conveyors, which contaminate gear oil with solid particles, their transmissions are exposed to intensive abrasion, scuffing, and even rolling contact fatigue (pitting). These effects shorten gear life. To prevent their occurrence, a wear-resistant coating can be deposited on gear teeth. The resistance to abrasive wear, scuffing, and pitting was investigated and reported in the article. Simple, model specimens were used. Abrasive wear and scuffing were tested using a pin-and-vee-block tribosystem in sliding contact. A cone–three-ball rolling tribosystem was employed to test pitting. The material of the test specimens (pins, vee blocks, cones) was 18CrNiMo7-6 case-hardened steel. Two types of DLC (Diamond-like Coatings) coatings were tested, W-DLC and W-DLC/CrN. The vee blocks and cones were coated. Two industrial gear oils were selected to lubricate the specimens: one with a mineral and one with a synthetic PAO (polyalphaolephine) base, as pure oil or contaminated with solid particles from a coal mine. The results show that, to minimize the tendency to abrasion, scuffing, and pitting of specimens made of 18CrNiMo7-6 steel, the W-DLC/CrN coating should be deposited. This coating also gives very good protection when the lubricating oil is contaminated.

The tribological properties of a novel porous Ti–Nb–Ta–Fe–Mn alloy with 0%, 30%, and 60% porosity were evaluated for biomedical applications. The tribotesting was performed using a ball-on-disc under dry conditions, using an alumina ball and 1 N of a load. The coefficient of friction at the early stage of the porous samples was lower than that of the bulk, 0.2 and 0.7, respectively, but the samples with 30% porosity shift toward the bulk value after a variable number of cycles, while the samples with 60% remained stable after 100,000 cycles. The wear rate of the specimen with 60% porosity was twice as low as that of the bulk. The results are explained by shift in wear mechanism associated with the modified bearing ratio of the porous surface and by the accumulation of wear debris inside the pores, which prevented the development of three-body abrasion.

Identification of changes occurring on the working surface of lubricated gears using analytical equipment, e.g., an FE-SEM scanning electron microscope with an EDS microanalyzer, a WLI interferometric microscope, or a GDEOS optical discharge spectrometer, enables the characterisation of wear mechanisms of this surface. Definition of the phenomena occurring on the surface of tribo-couples after scuffing tests enables a comparative analysis of scuffing resistance and surface properties of the micro- and nanostructure, and elemental composition of the tested gears. Recognition and analysis of the wear mechanisms occurring on the working surface of gears will reduce the risk of damage and losses resulting from the need for maintenance and repair. The study concerned the working surfaces of gears made of 17HNM and 35HGSA steels on which a W-DLC/CrN coating was deposited. Shell Omala S4 GX 320 commercial industrial oil with a synthetic PAO (polyalphaolefin) base was selected for the lubrication of the gears. Tribological tests employed an FZG gear scuffing under severe conditions test method and they were carried out on a T-12U test rig for cylindrical gear analysis.

The aim of the study was to investigate effect of Ti/TiB₂ composite composition and manufacturing technology parameters on the tribological behaviour of AlCrN coating-composite system. The AlCrN coating was deposited by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) method. The composites were manufactured by spark plasma sintering (SPS) from three variants of powders mixtures: Ti with TiB₂, Ti6Al4V with TiB₂ as well as Ti with B, using (five) different sintering temperatures. For each of the developed coating-composite systems, the wear resistance was evaluated using ball-on-disc SRV tester, at six temperatures (from room temperature up to 900 °C). The results confirmed that high-temperature wear resistance of the coating–substrate combination depends on Ti/TiB₂ composite composition and manufacturing technology parameters. In the case of uncoated composite, two processes manage the wear at high temperatures: cracking propagation and surface oxidation. The presence of AlCrN coating on the composite surface protects the surface against deep cracking and surface oxidation. The composites of Group I, sintered at 1250 °C from a mixture of pure Ti and TiB₂ (50/50 wt.% ratio) as well as Group III, sintered at 1350 °C from a mixture of pure Ti and B allow the achievement of a satisfactory surface quality, a high adhesion of the PVD coating and moderate wear at high temperatures. However, the composite made of pure Ti and B seems to be a better solution for temperatures exceeding 600 °C.