Scientists are developing plowshares with diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating to save fuel while plowing.
DLC-coated plowshares
Every year German farmers use a large quantity of fuel for working their land. Half of the energy is lost during harrowing or plowing due to friction that occurs between the soil and the plowshare. Plowshares that can smoothly slide through the soil will cause less friction and also reduce power and fuel consumption. These plowshares would help the farmers save fuel and time spent on maintenance, while allowing them to use wider equipment. Smaller and lighter tractors used for pulling the plowshares would also be environmentally-friendly as they cause less compaction. Highly compacted grounds dry out faster and are not able to easily absorb water. Loose soils require less fuel and are a lighter load on the tractors.
Scientists belonging to the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg are working with their collaborators in the RemBob project to develop DLC-coated plowshares. Hard disks in computers are protected with diamond-like, extremely hard carbon coatings. The researchers have made progress and have reduced friction between the plowshares and the ground by 50%. This has also led to over 30% reduction in power required by tractors.
Plowshares need to be sturdy, resilient and hard. They are normally made of high-durability steels, but they suffer when used for a long period of time. Conventional coatings do not last for a long time as they get worn out by sand, stones and soil. DLC coatings can withstand high stresses and strains, but steel that is normally used in ground working equipment is unsuitable as a substrate as it deforms easily. The project team is testing plowshares that are made of materials such as tungsten carbide, glass-fiber-reinforced plastic and nitriding steel. They aim to create a DLC coating that will last for at least 20 km of plowing.