Influence of low friction coatings on the scuffing load capacity and efficiency of gears

The influence of multilayer composite surface coatings on gear scuffing load carrying capacity, gear friction coefficient and gearbox efficiency is discussed in this work.The deposition procedures of molybdenum disulphide/titanium (MoS₂/Ti) and carbon/chromium (C/Cr) composite coatings are described.Tests reported in the literature, such as Rockwell indentations, ball cratering, pin-on-disc and reciprocating wear, confirm the excellent adhesion to the substrate and the tribological performance of these coatings, suggesting they can be applied with success in heavy loaded rolling–sliding contacts, such as those found in gears.FZG gear scuffing tests were performed in order to evaluate the coatings anti-scuffing performance, which both improved very significantly in comparison to uncoated gears. These results in conjunction with the friction power intensity (FPI) scuffing criterion allowed the determination of a friction coefficient factor X_SC to include the coating influence on the friction coefficient expression.The composite coatings were also applied to the gears of a transfer gearbox and its efficiency was measured and compared at different input speeds and torques with the uncoated carburized steel gears. Significant efficiency improvement was found with the MoS₂/Ti coating.     

Tribological Dependence of the High-Performance Ferrous-Based Coating on Different Coating Counterparts in Engine Oil

A ferrous-based coating with significant chromium was fabricated on aluminum alloy substrate using a plasma spray technique. The tribological performance of the as-fabricated ferrous-based coating sliding against different coatings including Cr, CrN, TiN, and diamond-like carbon (DLC) in an engine oil environment were comparatively studied. Results showed that the high hardness of the sprayed ferrous-based coating was achieved due to the dispersion strengthening effect of Cr₇C₃ phase embedded in the austenite matrix. The ferrous-based coating exhibited low friction coefficients when coupled with these four coating counterparts, which could be attributed to the boundary lubricating effect of engine oil. However, both friction and wear of the ferrous-based coating were different when sliding against these different coating counterparts, which might be closely related to the surface roughness, self-lubricating effect, and mechanical properties of the coupled coatings. Ferrous-based coating sliding against CrN and DLC coatings exhibited good tribological performance in engine oil. The best coating counterpart for the ferrous-based coating in an engine was DLC coating.     

Friction and wear behaviour of plasma-sprayed Cr2O3 coatings against steel in a wide range of sliding velocities and normal loads

This study investigates the influence of sliding speed and normal load on the friction and wear of plasma-sprayed Cr₂O₃ coatings, in dry and lubricated sliding against AISI D2 steel. Friction and wear tests were performed in a wide speed range of 0.125–8 m/s under different normal loads using a block-on-ring tribometer. SEM, EDS and XPS were employed to identify the mechanical and chemical changes on the worn surfaces. A tangential impact wear model was proposed to explain the steep rising of wear from the minimum wear to the maximum wear. The results show that the wear of Cr₂O₃ coatings increases with increasing load. Secondly, there exist a minimum-wear sliding speed (0.5 m/s) and a maximum-wear sliding speed (3 m/s) for a Cr₂O₃ coating in dry sliding. With the increase of speed, the wear of a Cr₂O₃ coating decreases in the range 0.125–0.5 m/s, then rises steeply from 0.5 m/s to 3 m/s, followed by a decrease thereafter. The large variation of wear with respect to speed can be explained by stick-slip at low speeds, the tangential impact effect at median speeds and the softening effect of flash temperature at high speeds. Thirdly, the chemical compositions of the transfer film are a-Fe₂O₃ in the speed range 0.25–2 m/s, and FeO at 7 m/s. In addition, the wear mechanisms of a Cr₂O₃ coating in dry sliding versus AISI D2 steel are adhesion at low speeds, brittle fracture at median speeds and a mixture of abrasion and brittle fracture at high speeds. Finally the lubricated wear of Cr₂O₃ coating increases sharply from 1 to 2.8 m/s.     

Tribological behaviour of MW PACVD diamond coatings in vibrating contacts

Six diamond coatings were produced by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (MW PACVD) on polished SiC substrates. Process gas pressure and process gas composition were varied systematically, resulting in different coating morphologies, roughnesses and grain sizes. Friction and wear were investigated for unlubricated vibrating contact conditions in air at room temperature. Tribological tests on diamond coatings were performed in a ball-on-disc configuration, with steel balls (100Cr6) and alumina balls acting as counterbodies. For comparison of the tribological performance of the diamond coatings, standard tests were performed with a stroke of 200 μn, a load of 10 N, and a frequency of 20 Hz. The effect of relative humidity (RH) was investigated by testing in dry (3% RH), in normal (50% RH), and in moist air (100% RH), respectively To investigate running-in effects and wear propagation, the test duration (10⁴, 10⁵, and 1.2·10⁶ sliding cycles) was varied. For steel/diamond pairings, high wear at the steel ball and high friction were measured, influenced by roughness and grain size of the diamond coating and by relative humidity. For Al₂O₃ against diamond, a pronounced running-in of friction and wear was found. High friction and high wear at the beginning of each test are followed by a stationary phase with extremely low friction coefficients (⩽ 0.05) and with wear rates below the limit of resolution. This running-in depends on grain size and roughness of the coating, on relative humidity, as well as on the operational parameters. Surface analysis using SEM, EDX, LRS and AFM was conducted, to investigate tribologically induced surface changes.     

Study on the tribological behaviors of the phenolic composite coating filled with modified nano-TiO2

In order to overcome the disadvantages generated by the loosened nanoparticle agglomerates dispersed in polymer composite coatings, nano-TiO₂ particles are modified using trifluoracetic acid. The friction and wear properties of the phenolic coatings filled with different surface treated nano-TiO₂, sliding against AISI-C-52100 steel ring under dry sliding, were investigated on a MHK-500 wear tester. Owing to the effective improvement of their dispersibility in the phenolic coating, compared with the cases of untreated nano-TiO₂, the employment of modified nano-TiO₂ provided the phenolic coating with much better tribological performance. Worn surfaces of the untreated nano-TiO₂ or modified nano-TiO₂ filled phenolic coating and transfer films formed on the surface of the counterpart ring sliding against the composite coating were respectively investigated by SEM and optical microscope (OM), from which it is assumed that the optimal content of TiO₂ or TF-TiO₂ is able to enhance the adhesion of the transfer films to the surface of counterpart ring. As a result, the wear resistance of the phenolic composite coating filled with modified nano-TiO₂ was significantly enhanced, especially at extreme wear conditions, i.e. high contact pressures.     

Tribological characterization of tungsten nitride coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

The structure, hardness, friction and wear of tungsten nitrides prepared by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated. The coatings were deposited with different nitrogen to argon ratios; the total pressure was kept constant. The tribological tests were performed on a pin-on-disc tribometer in terrestrial atmosphere with 100Cr6 steel, Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ balls as sliding counter-bodies. The wear tracks, the ball-wear scars and the wear debris were analysed by scanning electron microscopy in order to characterize the dominant wear mechanisms.The coatings exhibited different phases as a function of the nitrogen content: films with low N content exhibited the α-W phase; β-W phase was dominant for nitrogen contents from 12 to 15 at.% and β-W₂N was observed for nitrogen content higher that 30 at.%. The mechanical and tribological properties of the tungsten nitride coatings were strongly influenced by the structure. The hardness and the Young's modulus values were in the ranges (29–39 GPa) and (300–390 GPa), respectively; the lowest values correspond to the coatings with the highest nitrogen content. Generally, the friction and wear rate of tungsten nitride coatings sliding against ceramic balls increased with nitrogen content reaching a maximum at 12 at.%; further increase of the nitrogen content led to a decrease of the friction and wear. The sliding with the steel balls did not wear the coatings under the selected testing conditions.     

Tribological and mechanical properties of carbon nitride thin coating prepared by ion-beam-assisted deposition

Carbon nitride thin films may become good competitors for diamond-like carbon, due to their high hardness, high wear resistance, and low friction coefficient. At present, there are only a few studies of the effect of CN _x coating hardness and internal stress on its tribological properties, such as coating life and frictional behaviour. This work deals with tribological and mechanical properties of a carbon nitride coating prepared by ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). Friction coefficients in the range of 0.10–0.12 were observed for the best CN _x coatings sliding against silicon nitride under ambient conditions. A nonlinear correlation between coating life and its internal stress and hardness was found.     

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.     

Adaptive Mo2N/MoS2/Ag Tribological Nanocomposite Coatings for Aerospace Applications

Reactively sputtered Mo₂N/MoS₂/Ag nanocomposite coatings were deposited from three individual Mo, MoS₂, and Ag targets in a nitrogen environment onto Si (111), 440C grade stainless steel, and inconel 600 substrates. The power to the Mo target was kept constant, while power to the MoS₂ and Ag targets was varied to obtain different coating compositions. The coatings consisted of Mo₂N, with silver and/or sulfur additions of up to approximately 24 at%. Coating chemistry and crystal structure were evaluated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed the presence of tetragonal Mo₂N and cubic Ag phases. The MoS₂ phase was detected from XPS analysis and was likely present as an amorphous inclusion based on the absence of characteristic XRD peaks. The tribological properties of the coatings were investigated in dry sliding at room temperature against Si₃N₄, 440C stainless steel, and Al₂O₃. Tribological testing was also conducted at 350 and 600 °C against Si₃N₄. The coatings and respective wear tracks were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, profilometry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. During room temperature tests, the coefficients of friction (CoF) were relatively high (0.5–1.0) for all coating compositions, and particularly high against Si₃N₄ counterfaces. During high-temperature tests, the CoF of single-phase Mo₂N coatings remained high, but much lower CoFs were observed for composite coatings with both Ag and S additions. CoF values were maintained as low as 0.1 over 10,000 cycles for samples with Ag content in excess of 16 at% and with sulfur content in the 5–14 at% range. The chemistry and phase analysis of coating contact surfaces showed temperature-adaptive behavior with the formation of metallic silver at 350 °C and silver molybdate compounds at 600 °C tests. These adaptive Mo₂N/MoS₂/Ag coatings exhibited wear rates that were two orders of magnitude lower compared to Mo₂N and Mo₂N/Ag coatings, hence providing a high potential for lubrication and wear prevention of high-temperature sliding contacts.     

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.     

Friction and wear behaviour of Thordon XL and LgSn80 in sliding against plasma-sprayed Cr2O3 coatings

This paper studies the friction and wear behaviour of two important bearing materials, Thordon XL and LgSn80, in dry and lubricated sliding vs. plasma-sprayed Cr₂O₃ coatings. As a reference, AISI 1043 steel is also studied under the same conditions. SEM, EDS and surface topography were employed to study the wear mechanisms. The results indicate that the Thordon XL/Cr₂O₃ coating pair gives the lowest dry friction coefficient (0.16) under a normal load of 45.3 N (pressure 0.453 MPa) at a velocity of 1 m/s. The dry friction coefficient of Thordon XL/Cr₂O₃ coating increases to 0.38 under a normal load of 88.5 N (pressure 0.885 MPa). The dry friction coefficients of the LgSn80/Cr₂O₃ coating are in the range of 0.31–0.46. Secondly, both dry wear rate under low normal load (45.3 N) and lubricated wear rate under a load of 680 N for Thordon XL are lower than those of LgSn80 in sliding against plasma-sprayed Cr₂O₃ coatings at a speed of 1 m/s. However, under a normal load of 88.5 N the dry wear rate of Thordon XL is much higher than that of LgSn80. Thirdly, a high viscosity lubricant (SAE 140) leads to lower wear for Thordon XL and LgSn80 than a low viscosity lubricant (SAE 30). Finally, the dominating wear mechanism for Thordon XL is shear fracture when against the plasma-sprayed Cr₂O₃ ceramic coating. For LgSn80 against plasma-sprayed Cr₂O₃ ceramic coating, abrasive wear is the governing failure mechanism.     

Friction, wear and material transfer of sintered polyimides sliding against various steel and diamond-like carbon coated surfaces

Polyimide cylinders are slid under 50 N normal load and 0.3 m/s sliding velocity against carbon steel (R_a=0.2 and 0.05 μm), high-alloy steel (R_a=0.05 μm), diamond-like carbon (DLC, R_a=0.05 μm) and diamond-like nanocomposite (DLN, R_a=0.05 μm). Only for a limited range of test parameters, the friction of polyimide/DLN is lower than for polyimide/steel, while polyimide shows higher wear rates after sliding against DLN compared to steel counterfaces. The DLN coating shows slight wear scratches, although less severe than on DLC-coatings that are worn through thermal degradation. Therefore, also friction against DLC-coatings is high and unstable. Calculated bulk temperatures for steel and DLN under mild sliding conditions remain below the polyimide transition temperature of 180 °C so that other surface characteristics explain low friction on DLN counterfaces, as surface energy, structural compatibility and transfer behaviour. Friction is initially determined through adhesion and it is demonstrated that higher surface energy provides higher friction. After certain sliding time, different polyimide transfer on each counterface governs the tribological performance. Polyimide and amorphous DLC structures are characterised by C–C bonds, showing high structural compatibility and easy adherence of wear debris on the coating. However, it consists of plate-like transfer particles that act as abrasives and deteriorate the polyimide wear resistance. In sliding experiments with high-alloy steel, wear debris is washed out of the contact zone without formation of a transfer film. Transfer consists of island-like particles for smooth carbon steel and it forms a more homogeneous transfer film on rough carbon steel. The latter thick and protective film is favourable for low wear rates; however, it causes higher friction than smooth counterfaces.     

Friction and endurance of MoS2/ta-C coatings produced by Laser Arc deposition

The tribological behaviour of MoS₂/ta-C double layer coatings deposited by Laser-Arc technology was investigated in vacuum and air. In vacuum environment, the friction coefficient against steel balls varies between 0.005 and 0.02 depending on the contact pressure. At high contact pressures, the friction coefficient is as low as 0.005 and the life time between 340,000 and 500,000 cycles. Furthermore, it is shown that a ta-C base layer improves the performance of MoS₂ coating.Surface analyses were performed before and after the tribological tests by means of SEM, EDX, XRD, and TEM. They show that in the top layer beneath the sliding surface crystallization of the initially quasi-amorphous MoS₂ took place. TEM images also verified an orientation of the basal MoS₂-lattice planes parallel to the surface.     

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.     

Tribological Properties of DLC Coatings in Helium

The aim of this research work was to investigate tribological properties of low-friction DLC coatings when operating in helium atmosphere. Two commercial DLC coatings (a-C:H and Me-C:H) were included in the investigation and compared to reference PTFE-based coatings, normally used on components operating in helium. Coatings were deposited on hardened 100Cr6 bearing steel discs and tested against uncoated steel balls in low-load pin-on-disc contact configuration. Investigation was focused on the effect of substrate roughness (R _a ?=?0.05?C0.2???m) and contact conditions, including contact pressure (150?C350?MPa) and sliding speed (0.2?C0.4?m/s) on the coefficient of friction of DLC coatings operating in helium. Results of this investigation show that for low-load sliding contact DLC coatings provide low friction in helium atmosphere, similar to soft PTFE-based coatings. At the same time DLC coatings investigated were found to substantially reduce wear of the coated surface. However, while the wear of the coated part has been more or less eliminated, application of DLC coating prolongs running-in and increases wear of the steel counter-part. Furthermore, also in helium atmosphere tribolgical behaviour of DLC coatings showed dependence on the coating type and contact conditions.     

Tribological properties of flame sprayed Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under reciprocating sliding

Fe–Ni–RE self-fluxing alloy powders were flame sprayed onto 1045 carbon steel. The tribological properties of Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under dry sliding against SAE52100 steel at ambient conditions were studied on an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester in a ball-on-disc contact configuration. Effects of load and sliding speed on tribological properties of the Fe–Ni–RE coatings were investigated. The worn surfaces of the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings were examined with a scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and an energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS). It was found that the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings had better wear resistance than the SAE52100 steel. An adhered oxide debris layer was formed on the worn surface in friction. Area of the friction layer varied with variety of sliding speed, but did not vary with load. The oxide layer contributed to decreased wear, but increased friction. Wear rate of the material increased with the load, but dramatically decreased at first and then slightly decreased the sliding speed. The friction coefficient of the material was 0.40-0.58, and decreased slightly with the load, but increased with sliding speed at first, and then tended to be a constant value. Wear mechanism of the coatings was oxidation wear and a large amount of counterpart material was transferred to the coatings.     

Investigation of antiwear coatings deposited by the pvd process

The tribological properties of various PVD‐deposited coatings (vacuum arc method) have been tested, both single‐layer coatings (TiN, CrN, Ti(C,N), and Cr(C,N)) and multilayer coatings (Cr(C,N)/CrN/Cr and CR(C,N)/(CrN+Cr₂N)/CrN/Cr). An unlubricated ball‐on‐disc tribosystem was used in which an Al₂O₃ ball is pressed against a coated steel disc rotating in the horizontal plane. A novelty of the method is the removal of wear debris from the contact zone using a draught of dry argon. This improves the repeatability of the test results and the stability of the tribological characteristics. It is shown that CrN coatings exhibit the best antiwear properties and Ti(C,N) the worst. Multilayer coatings have better antiwear properties than single‐layer ones. The friction coefficients for CrN and Cr(C,N) coatings are much smaller than for the commonly used TiN. A correlation has also been found between the physical properties of the coatings tested (adhesion of the coating to the substrate assessed in scratch tests, and coating hardness) and their antiwear properties. An improvement in coating‐substrate adhesion results in wear reduction, while greater hardness (causing a coating embrittlement increase and a change in the wear mechanism) brings about greater wear. There is no correlation between the physical properties and the friction coefficients of the coatings tested.     

Experimental Evaluation of Friction and Wear Properties of Solid Lubricant Coatings on SUS440C Steel in Liquid Nitrogen

The friction and wear properties of the prevailing different solid lubricant coatings (Ion-plated Au, Ion-plated Ag and RF-sputtered PTFE on SUS440C stainless steel) used in the bearings of high-speed cryogenic-turbo-pumps of liquid rocket engines were experimentally evaluated in liquid nitrogen immersed conditions. Also the above experiments were carried out with two newly proposed solid lubricant coatings of sputter-ion-plated MoSTi and a new ion-plated Pb on SUS440C stainless steel. The friction coefficient and wear rates of the coatings of ion-plated Au, ion-plated Ag, RF-sputtered PTFE, the new ion-plated Pb and MoS₂Ti-SIP (with coating thickness of 0.7±0.1 μm) on SUS440C steel against SUS440C stainless steel ball in liquid nitrogen were compared. Worn surfaces were examined microscopically with a microscope and a profilometer for understanding the mechanisms of friction and wear and transfer film lubrication in liquid nitrogen. It is found that the newly proposed solid lubricant coatings are showing promising results for their use in liquid nitrogen immersed conditions. The sputter-ion-plated MoSTi coating on SUS 440C steel shows a minimum value of friction coefficient (μ=0.015) and wear rate (w_c=0.56 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/N m ) in liquid nitrogen.     

Tribological properties of composite multilayer coating

Abstract

The use of surface coatings is emerging as one of the most important approaches in reducing friction and wear in various tribological applications. Even though single layer coatings have a wide range of applications, the performance of the single layer alone may not always be adequate to meet the desired tribological property requirements. Hence, coatings consisting of multilayers to meet different property requirements in demanding applications are required. In this study, the tribological properties of a graded composite multilayer coating, with a specific layer sequence of MoS₂/Ti–MoS₂/TiBN–TiBN–TiB₂–Ti deposited on tool steel substrate, have been investigated at temperatures of 40 and 400°C respectively. The experimental results from the tests at 40°C have shown that the friction coefficient value ranges between 0·02 and 0·034. It was found that the deposition parameters influenced the friction and durability of the coatings. Higher substrate bias was found to result in higher friction, and the coating deposited at high substrate bias and low N₂ flow showed the lowest durability. The friction coefficient and durability of the coatings were found to be highly dependent on temperature. At high temperature, the friction coefficient increases almost threefold, and the durability decreases significantly.     

Tribological performance of α-Fe(Cr)-Fe2B-FeB and α-Fe(Cr)-h-BN coatings obtained by laser melting

α-Fe(Cr)-h-BN and α-Fe(Cr)-Fe₂B-FeB coatings on X30Cr13 stainless steel are synthesized by laser melting with incorporation of hexagonal boron nitride, or by alloying of boron. The additive powders are deposited on steel before pulsed irradiation by Nd-YAG laser beam. The solidification structures of the obtained coatings are investigated by optical microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The mechanical properties are investigated by nanoindentation and the tribological behaviour is characterized on pin-on-disc tribometer, under dry-sliding conditions with different loads and a temperature range 25–500 °C. h-BN-α-Fe(Cr) and Fe₂B-α-Fe(Cr) coatings have average hardnesses 10.0 and 14.5 GPa, respectively, while hardness of untreated stainless steel is 4.2 GPa. In comparison with this untreated steel, the sliding contact on ceramic (ruby) of such coating shows a lower coefficient friction and a definitively better wear resistance.