Low-friction sliding member and low-friction sliding mechanism using same

A low-friction sliding mechanism comprising:

• a first low-friction sliding member including a base material having a surface, and a hard carbon thin film formed on at least a part of the surface of the base material the hard carbon thin film being formed of diamond-like carbon containing hydrogen in an amount not more than 10 atomic %, wherein a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with an opposite member in presence of an organic oxygen-containing compound;
• at least one of a second low-friction sliding member and a metal member having a sliding surface, serving as the opposite member, the second low-friction sliding member including a base material having a surface of the base material, and a hard carbon thin film formed on at least a part of the surface the hard carbon thin film being formed of diamond-like carbon containing hydrogen in an amount not more than 10 atomic %, wherein a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with the opposite member in presence of the organic oxygen-containing compound;
• and
• the organic oxygen-containing compound present in a sliding surface site formed between a sliding surface of the first low-friction sliding member and the sliding surface of at least one of the second low-friction sliding member and the metal member, wherein the organic oxygen-containing compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, ketone, aldehyde, carbonate, and a derivative of the alcohol, the carboxylic acid, the ester, the ether, the ketone, the aldehyde and the carbonate.

A low-friction sliding mechanism comprising:

• a first low-friction sliding member including a base material having a surface, and a hard carbon thin film formed on at least a part of the surface of the base material the hard carbon thin film being formed of diamond-like carbon containing hydrogen in an amount not more than 10 atomic %, wherein a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with an opposite member in presence of an organic oxygen-containing compound;
• at least one of a second low-friction sliding member and a metal member having a sliding surface, serving as the opposite member, the second low-friction sliding member including a base material having a surface of the base material, and a hard carbon thin film formed on at least a part of the sliding surface the hard carbon thin film being formed of diamond-like carbon containing hydrogen in an amount not more than 10 atomic %, wherein a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with the opposite member in presence of the organic oxygen-containing compound;
• and
• lubricating oil present in a sliding surface site formed between a sliding surface of the first low-friction sliding member and the sliding surface of at least one of the second low-friction sliding member and the metal member, the lubricating oil containing the organic oxygen-containing compound, wherein the organic oxygen-containing compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, ketone, aldehyde, carbonate, and a derivative of the alcohol, the carboxylic acid, the ester, the ether, the ketone, the aldehyde and the carbonate.

A low-friction sliding member comprising:

• a base material having a surface;
• and
• a hard carbon thin film formed on at least a part of the surface of the base material, the hard carbon thin film being formed of diamond-like carbon containing hydrogen in an amount not more than 10 atomic %;
• wherein a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of either linkage, oxide and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with an opposite member in presence of an organic oxygen-containing compound containing at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group, wherein the organic oxygen-containing compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, ketone, aldehyde, carbonate, and a derivative of the alcohol, the carboxylic acid, the ester, the ether, the ketone, the aldehyde and the carbonate.

A low-friction sliding mechanism comprising:

• a first sliding member including a base material having a surface;
• a second sliding member including a base member having a surface, the second sliding member being in slidable contact with the first sliding member,
• wherein at least a part of the surface of the base member of one of the first and second sliding members is coated with a hard carbon thin film;
• and
• an organic oxygen-containing compound present between the first and second sliding members and capable of forming a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxide and hydroxyl group, on the hard carbon thin film when the first and second sliding members are in slidable contact with each other in presence of the organic oxygen-containing compound, wherein the organic oxygen-containing compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, ketone, aldehyde, carbonate, and a derivative of the alcohol, the carboxylic acid, the ester, the ether, the ketone, the aldehyde and the carbonate.

A low-friction sliding mechanism comprising:

• a first sliding member including a base material having a surface;
• a second sliding member including a base member having a surface, the second sliding member being in slidable contact with the first sliding member;
• a first film of a-C type diamond-like carbon formed on at least a part of the surface of the base material of the first sliding member;
• a second film of a-C type diamond-like carbon formed on at least a part of the surface of the base material of the second sliding member;
• and
• an organic oxygen-containing compound present between the first and second sliding members and capable of forming a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group, on the first and second films when the first and second sliding members are in slidable contact with each other in presence of the organic oxygen-containing compound, wherein the organic oxygen-containing compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, ether, ketone, aldehyde, carbonate, and a derivative of the alcohol, the carboxylic acid, the ester, the ether, the ketone, the aldehyde and the carbonate.