Evaluation of erosive wear resistance of TiN coatings by a slurry jet impact test

In this paper, it is proposed to use a new type of solid particle impact test (slurry jet) to swiftly evaluate wear properties of thin, single layered or multilayered coatings. By the slurry jet, 1.2 μm alumina particles were impacted at high velocity perpendicular to thin PVD coatings of TiN deposited on high speed steel substrate materials under various substrate temperatures. Since the coatings have a much higher wear resistance than the substrate material, the wear rate increases significantly to the higher level of the HSS material when the coatings are penetrated. This is utilized in the quantification of the assessment of coating wear. A ranking of wear resistance and correlations to the coating surface hardness measured by nano-indentation tests, and coating morphology and structures are given and discussed. The TiN deposited under the highest substrate temperature proved to have the highest wear resistance although it had a relatively low hardness. The wear rate of the TiN coatings varies with the orientation of grains, that is, the {1 1 1} orientation that dominates for the high temperature deposition shows a higher wear resistance than the {1 0 0} orientation, which corresponds with the cleavage fracture behavior. Thus, it can be recommended as a screening test when evaluating coatings and coated materials.     

Study of tribological performance of ECR-CVD diamond-like carbon coatings on steel substrates: Part 2. The analysis of wear mechanism

This paper describes the tribological performance of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings deposited on AISI 440C steel substrates by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) process. A variety of analytic techniques were used to characterize the coatings, such as Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nano-indentation. The sliding wear and friction experiments were carried out by the conventional ball-on-disk tribometry against 100Cr6 steel counterbody at various normal loads (1-10 N) and sliding speeds (2-15 cm/s). All the wear tests were conducted under dry sliding condition in ambient air for a total rotation cycle of 1 × 10⁵ (sliding distance ∼2.2 km). Surfaces of the coatings and the steel balls were examined before and after the sliding wear tests. The DLC coatings that had been tested all showed relatively low values of friction coefficient, in the range of 0.1-0.2 at a steady-state stage, and low specific wear rates (on the order of 10⁻⁸ mm³/Nm). It was found that higher normal loads or sliding speeds reduced the wear rates of the coatings. Plastic deformation became more evident on the coating surface during the sliding wear test at higher contact stresses. The friction-induced transformation of the coating surface into a graphite-like phase was revealed by micro-Raman analysis, and the flash temperature of the contact asperities was estimated. It was suggested that the structural transformation taking place within the wear tracks was mainly due to the formation of compact wear debris layer rather than the frictional heating effect. On the other hand, an adherent transfer layer (tribolayer) was formed on the counterface, which was closely related to the steady-state friction during sliding and the wear mechanisms. Fundamental knowledge combined with the present tribological study led to the conclusion that adhesive wear along with abrasion was probably the dominant wear mechanism for the DLC/steel sliding systems. Additionally, fatigue processes might also be involved in the wear of the coatings.     

Effects of carbon content on the high temperature friction and wear of chromium carbonitride coatings

Chromium nitride-based coatings are often used in application at high temperature. They possess high wear and oxidation resistance; however, the friction coefficient is typically very high. Therefore, we doped CrN coatings by carbon with the aim to improve tribological properties at elevated temperature, particularly to lower the friction. CrCN coatings were prepared by cathode arc evaporation technology using constant N₂ flow and variable C₂H₂ flow. The coatings with a thickness of 3-4 μm were deposited on hardened steel substrates and high-temperature resistant alloy. The carbon content varied from 0 at.% (i.e. CrN) up to 31 at.%. The standard coating characterization included the nano-hardness, adhesion, chemical composition and structure (including hot X-ray diffraction). Wear testing was done using a high temperature tribometer (pin-on-disc); the maximum testing temperature was 700 °C. The coatings with carbon content 12-31 at.% showed almost identical tribological behaviour up to 700 °C.     

Wear behavior of Pb–Mo–S solid lubricating coatings

Amorphous Pb–Mo–S coatings 200 to 510 nm thick were deposited by dual ion-beam deposition (IBD) onto steel and Si substrates. Coating wear studies were performed using ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding with steel ball counterfaces in dry air. Tests were run between 1 and 100,000 sliding cycles, and wear depths measured by interference microscopy. Morphology and chemistry of the as-deposited coatings and worn surfaces were investigated with optical microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy and cross-section high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Pb–Mo–S coatings were found to be quite wear resistant; no more than 25% of the coating thickness was removed by 10,000 sliding cycles. Two wear mechanisms were identified. At the nanometer scale, wear proceeded in a two-part process: transformation of the coating surface to MoS₂, then layer-by-layer removal of MoS₂. At the micrometer scale, wear occurred by plowing. The long endurance of Pb–Mo–S coatings was attributed to slow wear of the coatings, with lubricant redistribution processes playing a minor role.     

Sliding wear evaluation of hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) thermal spray cermet coatings

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of applying hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) as a post-treatment to thermally sprayed wear resistant cermet coatings. The relative performance of the as-sprayed and hot isostatically pressed functionally graded WC-NiCrBSi coatings was investigated in sliding wear conditions. Coatings were deposited using a high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF)—JP-5000 system, and HIPed without any encapsulation at temperatures of 850 and 1200 °C. The influence of post-treatment temperature on the coating's wear resistance was thus investigated. Sliding wear tests were carried out using a high frequency reciprocating ball on plate rig using steel and ceramic balls under two different loads. Results are discussed in terms of microstructural investigations, phase transformations, mechanical properties, and residual stress investigations. The results indicated significant alteration of the coating microstructure, brought about by the coating post-treatment, particularly when carried out at the higher temperature of 1200 °C. As a consequence, developments in the coating mechanical properties took place that led to higher wear resistance of the HIPed coatings.     

On dry sliding friction and wear behaviour of PEEK and PEEK/SiC-composite coatings

In this work, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and PEEK/SiC-composite coatings were deposited on Al substrates using a printing technique to improve their surfaces performance. The objective of this work was to investigate coatings friction and wear behaviour. Especially, the effect of sliding velocity and applied load on coatings friction coefficient and wear rate was evaluated in range of 0.2-1.4 m/s and 1-9 N, respectively. Compared to Al substrate, the coated samples exhibit excellent friction coefficient and wear rate. For PEEK coating, under an applied load of 1 N, the increase in sliding velocity can result in decreasing of friction coefficient at a cost of wear resistance. Under a load of 9 N, however, PEEK coating exhibits the highest friction coefficient and wear rate at an intermediate velocity. These influences appear to be mainly ascribed to the influence of contact temperature of the two relative sliding parts. In most test conditions, the composite coating exhibits better wear resistance and a little higher friction coefficient. SiC reinforcement in composite coating plays a combined role. First of all, it might lead to energy dissipation for activation of fracture occurred on the interface of PEEK and the powders. Moreover, it can reduce coating ploughs and the adhesion between the two relative sliding parts.     

Influence of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Sliding Wear of Thermally Sprayed Fe-Based Metallic Glass Coatings

Fe₆₂Ni₃Cr₄Mo₂W₃Si₆B₁₇C₃ amorphous coatings were thermally sprayed by a high velocity oxygen fuel spraying system (DJ-2700) and heat-treated at the temperatures ranges from 873 to 1,173 K in vacuum for 1 h. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the microstructural characteristics of the coatings. Vickers hardness tester was used to measure the hardness of the coatings. At the same time, the sliding wear behavior of the coatings was evaluated in a reciprocating ball-on-disk system. Within the resolution of XRD, amorphous structure without apparent crystalline phases was obtained in the as-sprayed coating. The heat treatments above 873 K led to the crystallization of amorphous phase. With the increase of heat treatment temperature, diffusion and sintering could occur between the layers of the coatings. The highest microhardness was obtained in the coating heat-treated at 973 K. When wear tested at a relative low load of 2 N, a direct correlation between the hardness and wear resistance of the coatings seems to be reasonable. However, at relative high loads, the wear resistance of the coatings is dependent on the resistance to crack initiation and growth between the layers rather than the hardness.     

Corrosion-wear behaviour of PVD Cr/CrN multilayer coatings for gear applications

At present, one of the most important problems in automobile engines and transmission components is due to tribological processes (friction and wear) that in many cases come accompanied by corrosion processes due to the environmental conditions to which these materials are exposed during their lifetime. Both mechanisms can be minimized by means of the development and the application of adequate coatings that combine low friction with a high corrosion and wear resistance.The new tendencies in industrial PVD coatings to improve their properties are focused in the development of new multilayer and nanostructured coatings. These structures allow in a relatively simple way enhancing their tribological properties and the corrosion resistance that can not be reached by means of the traditional monolayer coatings. The background of this type of coatings consists of the stacking up of several layers with good individual tribological and mechanical properties, but every individual layer has a thickness that can be from hundreds of nanometres down to only 5-10 nm. The properties of these nanostructured coatings depend strongly on the thickness modulation of every individual layer.Concerning PVD coatings, the chrome nitride coatings have demonstrated to possess excellent wear resistance properties. In this work, multilayer Cr/CrN coatings with different individual layer thickness have been deposited on substrates of steel F1272 and silicon. The deposition has been carried out by means of the cathodic arc method alternating an atmosphere of pure Ar with a reactive mixture of N₂/Ar. The multilayers obtained have been analyzed by means of Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GD-OES) and in some cases by means of FE-SEM obtaining bilayer (Cr/CrN) periods of the order of 220 and 45 nm. The coating characterization has been complemented with hardness and composition measurements as well as by the performance of several wear and corrosion-wear tests.     

Cr2N/CrN multilayer coatings for wood machining tools

The present paper describes results from a recent research project aimed at forming a wear resistant coating based on chromium on tools to wood machining. Cr₂N/CrN multilayer coatings deposited on HS6-5-2 steel substrates using cathodic arc evaporation were tested. These coatings were formed from 7 bilayers being ca. 340 nm thick and equally thick Cr₂N and CrN layers. For comparison, Cr₂N and CrN monolayer coatings were also prepared. Hardness measurements, indentation and scratch tests, friction and wear were performed to characterize the mechanical properties. The wear tracks and Rockwell indentations enable to assess wear mechanisms of the coatings. The results of the Cr₂N/CrN coatings investigated show high hardness: ca. about 22 GPa and a critical force being higher than 95 N and a low wear rate.The industrial tests of planer knives with Cr₂N/CrN multilayer coatings were carried out on a down-spindle milling machine to determine the durability of tools with wear resistant coatings for woodworking. These tools show increase of “life time” two times. Another positive feature of the use of such tools is the increase of the quality of wood surface machined when compared with uncoated tools.     

Corrosion and wear behaviour of ZrN thin films

Abstract

ZrN coating is an alternative candidate to replace the conventional TiN coating especially for high temperature oxidation resistance applications. ZrN coatings of varying thickness (1·5, 2·0, 2·5, 3·0 and 4·0 μm) were deposited on 316 stainless steel substrates by cathodic arc evaporation in a reactive nitrogen atmosphere. The influences of lamellae thickness on the microstructure, tribological and corrosive properties of the films were investigated. The coefficient of steady state friction of the films ranged from 0·213 to 0·659. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was tested in 1 N H₂SO₄ solution. The results indicate that the microstructure, wear and corrosion properties of the films were dependent on lamellae thicknesses and film structure.     

TiSiC,TiSiC-Zr,and TiSiC-Cr Coatings—Corrosion Resistance and Tribological Performance in Saline Solution

TiSiC coatings alloyed with Zr and Cr were deposited on Si and 316 L steel substrates by a cathodic arc method in a CH₄ reactive atmosphere. The corrosion and wear behavior of the coatings in 0.9% NaCl solution was investigated. Corrosion resistance of the coatings was evaluated by electrochemical tests. The electrochemical polarization measurements were conducted at room temperature in the potential range ?1 and 1.5 V, with a 0.167 mVs^?1 scan rate. Compared to the uncoated 316 L substrates, the coated ones showed nobler characteristics, with more electropositive corrosion potentials, lower corrosion current densities, and higher polarization resistances. TiSiC-Zr exhibited the lowest corrosion current density (0.62 μAcm^?2) and the highest protection efficiency (69.5%). The tribological performance of the coatings under corrosive conditions (0.9% NaCl solution) was investigated using a ball-on-disc tribometer (6-mm-diameter sapphire ball, 5 N load, 0.15 ms^?1 sliding speed, 400 m sliding distance). The TiSiC-Cr coating demonstrated the best wear behavior, with a wear rate of 3.2 × 10^?6 mm³N^?1m^?1, followed by TiSiC and TiSiC-Zr. The morphologies and compositions of the worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in order to identify the wear mechanism. Corrosion, debris adhesion, and oxidation were found to be the dominant wear processes.     

CVD diamond coated silicon nitride self-mated systems: tribological behaviour under high loads

Friction and wear behaviour of self-mated chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond films coating silicon nitride ceramics (Si₃N₄) were investigated in ambient atmosphere. The tribological tests were conducted in a reciprocal motion ball-on-flat type tribometer under applied normal loads up to 80 N (∼10 GPa). Several characterisation techniques—including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-Raman studies—were used in order to assess the quality, stress state and wear resistance of the coatings. In addition, a novel method is presented to estimate the wear coefficient of the diamond coated flat specimens from AFM and optical microscopy (OM) observations of the wear tracks.     

Vacuum tribological behaviour of self‐lubricating quasicrystalline composite coatings

High‐temperature‐resistant self‐lubricating coatings are needed in space vehicles for components that operate at high temperatures and/or under vacuum. Thick composite lubricant coatings containing quasicrystalline alloys as the hard phase for wear resistance can be deposited by a thermal spray technique. The coatings also contain lubricating materials (silver and BaF₂ CaF2 eutectic) and NiCr as the tough component. This paper describes the vacuum tribological properties of TH103, a coating of this type, with a very good microstructural quality. The coating was deposited by high‐velocity oxygen fuel spraying and tested under vacuum using a pin‐on‐disc tribometer. Different loads, linear speeds, and pin materials were studied. The pin scars and disc wear tracks were characterised using a combination of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry. A minimum mean steady friction coefficient of 0.32 was obtained when employing an X750 Ni superalloy pin in vacuum conditions under 10 N load and 15 cm/s linear speed, showing moderate wear of the disc and low wear of the pin.     

Effect of Operating Temperature on Tribological Behavior of As-Plated Ni-B Coating Deposited by Electroless Method

The present work investigates the tribological behavior of electroless Ni-B coating in its as-plated condition at elevated operating temperatures. Ni-B coating is deposited using an electroless method on AISI 1040 steel specimens. Coating characterization is done using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Vicker's microhardness and surface roughness are measured. Friction and wear tests are carried out on a pin-on-disc tribological test setup at room and elevated temperatures of 100, 300, and 500°C. The tribological behavior deteriorates at 100°C compared to room temperature. Electroless Ni-B coating shows excellent wear resistance at 300°C, which again degrades at 500°C due to severe oxidation and softening of the deposits. The worn surface of the coatings is analyzed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Within the temperature range considered, the wear mechanism changes from adhesion to a combination of adhesion and abrasion as the temperature rises from ambient condition to 100°C, following which the wear mechanism is predominantly abrasive. The formation of a tribochemical oxide film also affects the tribological behavior of the coatings at high temperature.     

Sliding tribological behavior of AlCrN coating

The sliding tribological behavior of the PVD AlCrN coating against Si₃N₄ ball have been investigated by using the CETR multi-functional UMT-2 test system under two sliding conditions (bidirectional and unidirectional). Reciprocating sliding tests (bidirectional) were performed under varied normal loads (5, 10 and 20 N) at sliding velocity of 0.48 m/min. Ball-on-disc tests (unidirectional) were performed at varied sliding velocities (0.48 and 5 m/min) under normal load of 5 N. The wear scars of the coating were evaluated by surface profilometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the sliding wear mechanism of the coating was consequently discussed. The results showed that AlCrN coating had excellent anti-abrasion properties. Both the normal load in reciprocating sliding test and the sliding velocity in ball-on-disc test had significant influence on the sliding tribological behavior of the AlCrN coating. The combination of abrasion and oxidation was the main sliding wear mechanism for the AlCrN coating. The wear resistant and thermally stable oxides formed by the tribo-chemical reactions of chromium and aluminum protected the AlCrN coating against wear admirably.     

Synergy between corrosion and wear of electrodeposited Ni-P coating in NaCl solution

An immersion block-on-ring tester was employed in this study to investigate the interaction between wear and corrosion of electroplated Ni-P coating in 5% NaCl solution. The weight loss and the coefficient of friction of the specimen under different bath temperatures and overpotentials were measured. The results showed that at temperature of 50 °C and overpotential of +600 mV_SCE, which was within the transpassive region of its polarization curve, a severe synergy between corrosion and wear was observed. However, at lower temperatures and overpotentials, the interaction between wear and corrosion was hardly noticed.     

Micro-abrasion wear testing of triode plasma diffusion and duplex treated Ti–6Al–4V alloy

In this paper micro-abrasion wear testing is used to evaluate the wear resistance of triode plasma diffusion-treated, single-layered TiN-, CrAlN-, and WC/C-coated and duplex-diffusion and coated Ti–6Al–4V under uniform three-body rolling abrasion. Nanoindentation, Knoop microhardness, mechanical surface profilometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, were used to characterise the surfaces under investigation. Optimum testing conditions for rolling abrasion were established by varying the test parameters and resultant severity of contact. Very low normal loads and high volume fractions of particles in the abrasive slurry are necessary to obtain predictable and reproducible results. Relatively coarse SiC abrasive particles, having a mean diameter of around 3 μm, appear more suitable for micro-abrasion testing of the samples investigated, compared to finer Al₂O₃ particles. Problems associated with the measurement of the scar volume and subsequent calculation of the wear rate for hard coatings deposited on relatively soft metals like titanium are identified, and suitable testing and measurement techniques are suggested. Three-dimensional wear scar maps generated by mechanical stylus profilometry were used to measure the wear volumes. Under the test conditions used, wear coefficients can be determined from perforating and non-perforating tests, although perforating tests provide more consistent results. Triode plasma diffusion treatments, plasma-assisted (PA) PVD TiN and PAPVD CrAlN can reduce the specific wear rate of Ti–6Al–4V, while PACVD-based WC/C coatings do not provide suitable protection against abrasive wear. The combination of triode plasma oxynitriding diffusion treatments and PVD coatings to create duplex treatments can also lead to further reductions in the coating wear coefficient when compared to non-duplex coatings deposited on non-pretreated substrates.     

Effect of temperature on the wear of an electroless nickel coating under lubricated reciprocating sliding conditions

The effect of temperature on the wear of as-deposited electroless Ni-P coating under lubricated reciprocating sliding conditions has been investigated using the ball-on-block test method. It was shown that the temperature increase from 25 to 100°C reduces the lubricated wear of EN coatings, especially at high loads. The wear mechanism has also changed as the temperature rises from 25 to 100°C. X-ray mapping and EDS analyses have shown that there are more sulfur and phosphorus on the wear track at high temperature which may be responsible for reduced friction and the wear of the coating.Yugang Liu is a graduate student and K.N. Tandon is an Associate Professor at Metallurgical Science Laboratory, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Manitoba.     

Microstructure and tribological characteristics of ZrO2–Y2O3 ceramic coatings deposited by laser-assisted plasma hybrid spraying

ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ ceramic coatings were deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel by both a low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) and a laser-assisted plasma hybrid spraying (LPHS). Microstructure and tribological characteristics of ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ coatings were studied using an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope, and an SRV high-temperature friction and wear tester. The LPHS coatings exhibit distinctly reduced porosity, uniform microstructure, high hardness and highly adhesive bonding, although more microcracks and even vertical macrocracks seem to be caused in the LPHS coatings. The ZrO₂ lamellae in the LPHS coatings before and after 800°C wear test consist mainly of the metastable tetragonal (t′) phase of ZrO₂ together with small amount of c phase. The t′ phase is very stable when it is exposed to the wear test at elevated temperatures up to 800°C for 1 h. The friction and wear of the LPHS coatings shows a strong dependence on temperature, changing from a low to a high wear regime with the increase of temperature. At low temperatures, friction and wear of the LPHS coatings is improved by laser irradiation because of the reduced connected pores and high hardness in contrary to the LPPS coating. However, at elevated temperatures, the friction and wear of the LPHS coatings is not reduced by laser irradiation. At room temperature, mild scratching and plastic deformation of the LPHS coatings are the main failure mechanism. However, surface fatigue, microcrack propagation, and localized spallation featured by intersplat fracture, crumbling and pulling-out of ZrO₂ splats become more dominated at elevated temperatures.     

Study of tribological performance of ECR-CVD diamond-like carbon coatings on steel substrates: Part 1. The effect of processing parameters and operating conditions

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates at room temperature by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) process in C₂H₂/Ar plasma. Using the designed Ti/TiN/TiCN/TiC interfacial transition layers, relatively thick DLC coatings (1-2 μm) were successfully prepared on the steel substrates. The friction and wear performance of the DLC coatings was evaluated by ball-on-disk tribometry using a steel counterbody at various normal loads (1-10 N) and sliding speeds (2-15 cm/s). By optimizing the deposition parameters such as negative bias voltage, DLC coatings with hardness up to 30 GPa and friction coefficients lower than 0.15 against the 100Cr6 steel ball could be obtained. The friction coefficient was maintained for 100,000 cycles (∼2.2 km) of dry sliding in ambient environments. In addition, the specific wear rates of the coatings were found to be extremely low (∼10⁻⁸ mm³/Nm); at the same time, the ball wear rates were one order of magnitude lower. The influences of the processing parameters and the sliding conditions were determined, and the frictional behavior of the coatings was discussed. It has been found that higher normal loads or sliding speeds reduced the wear rates of the coatings. Therefore, it is feasible to prepare hard and highly adherent DLC coatings with low friction coefficient and low wear rate on engineering steel substrates by the ECR-CVD process. The excellent tribological performance of DLC coatings enables their industrial applications as wear-resistant solid lubricants on sliding parts.