The sol-gel method allows to modify the materials surface by applying thin coatings with specific properties in order to obtain required properties of modified surfaces. The properties of sol-gel coatings can be modified by using precursors with various non-hydrolysing groups eg. metyl-, etyl-, vinyl- or glicydoxypropyl. They modify the silica network and affect the functionalization and integrity of coatings by changing the mechanical properties eg. hardness, adhesion to the substrate or wear resistance [1, 2]. As research on metallic substrates has shown [1,3], the influence of non-hydrolyzing substituents is very large on the mechanical properties of thin layers. Mechanical properties ensure the durability and continuity of coatings, and also fulfill the protection functions. Cracking and delamination of the coating from the substrate causes further rapid degradation of the element.

In order to determine the influence of coating modification on the mechanical properties of the modified steel surface, silica matrices with non-hydrolyzing organic groups were applied. The resulting coating materials demonstrated changes in mechanical properties depending on presence of the non-hydrolyzing moieties. The mechanical properties were performed in area of hardness, Young's modulus and the scratch test. Layer morphologies were examined by a scanning electron microscope, and layer thicknesses were determined by measuring reflectance. The chemical composition of the coatings was confirmed by proper bands on Raman spectra. The correlation between the morphology and the tested properties was demonstrated, and the influence of the presence of an organic moieties on the mechanical properties of the oxide network, and thus on wear resistance, was determined.

References

[1] A. J. Atanacio, B. A. Latella, C. J. Barbé, M. V. Swainc Surface and Coatings Technology, 2005, 192, 354-364.

[2] Z. He, T. Gao, D. Duan, M. D. Soucek Progress in Organic Coatings, 2019, 133, 237-248.

[3] J. Gąsiorek, A. K. Mazur-Nowacka, A. Szczurek, B. A. Babiarczuk, W. J. Tic, J. Guziałowska-Tic, J. Kaleta, J. Krzak, Materials, 2021, 14, 2389.