Kohlenstoffbasierte Beschichtungen

Carbon‐based Coatings Coated components are used in many applications in motorcars. The objective of first applications was mainly wear reduction. Currently friction reduction gets more and more in the spotlight. Coatings are systematically developed and implemented as a design element. The selection of a suitable coating or a coating system should be based on an evaluation of the complete tribological system. Friction reduction is usually only possible in the boundary friction and mixed lubrication regime. The roughness of body and counterbody and their running‐in limits the possible effect. The compatibility of lubricants and coatings gets more and more important. As an example an engine oil with MoDTC additive results in increased friction of DLC coated valve‐train components in certain speed ranges. A specially for this application adjusted metal‐containing DLC (CrC/a‐C:H) avoids this effect.     

Verschleißfeste Beschichtungen von Aluminium‐Stahl‐Hybridstrukturen mittels thermischer Spritztechnik

Spraying of wear‐resistant coatings of aluminium‐steel‐hybrid‐structures By means of high velocity oxy fuel flame spraying of aluminium‐hybrid‐structures consisting of a Al Zn 5,5 Mg Cu 1,5 (ENAW7075) and a NiCrBSi‐coating as well as a Cr₃C₂ 25NiCr‐ coating are manufactured. The hybrid composite structures are analysed and compared with each other regarding to hardness, surface roughness, wear‐resistance and coating density.     

Untersuchung des tribologisch‐mechanischen Verhaltens amorpher Kohlenstoffschichten mittels Load Scanner

Amorphous carbon coatings have a beneficial tribological behaviour since they provide low friction even under dry sliding conditions and at the same time they offer a good wear protection. Under high loads, the applicability of state‐of‐the‐art amorphous carbon coatings is limited by mechanical failure. However, there is still little knowledge concerning the precise failure mechanisms under application‐oriented conditions. In the present study, cylindrical specimens of a cold work tool steel were coated with two commercial amorphous carbon coating systems: a WCC coating with an a‐C:H:W top layer and a DLC coating which architecture is based on that of the WCC coating, but contains an additional a‐C:H top layer. The coated specimens were tested on a load‐scanning test rig in dry sliding contact against uncoated specimens of the same steel substrate. In the tests, the specimens were loaded with a normal force in the range of 13 and 350 N, corresponding to a maximum contact pressure of 1 to 3 GPa. The number of load cycles was varied between 1 and 60. Firstly, the load‐dependent friction behaviour was monitored. Secondly, the tests were stopped at different total cycle numbers allowing for an evaluation of the progress of wear and damage by scanning electron microscopy. For both coating systems, adhesive pick‐up of counter body steel was observed prior to mechanical failure. Whilst the WCC coating system showed first indications of local failure after several load cycles and at contact pressures exceeding 2 GPa, the DLC coating system showed catastrophic failure on a global scale only after few load cycles and over the whole investigated load range.     

Slip‐rolling resistance of ta‐C and a‐C coatings up to 3,000 MPa of maximum Hertzian contact pressure

The slip‐rolling resistances of hard and stiff thin films under high Hertzian contact pressures can be improved by optimizing the “coating/substrate systems”. It is known from former investigations that the so‐called “egg‐shell” effect is no general hindrance for high slip‐rolling resistance of thin hard coatings. The coating stability depends more on specific deposition process and coating/substrate interface design. In this article it is experimentally shown, that pure amorphous carbon thin films with hardness between 15 and 63 GPa can be slip‐rolling resistant several million load cycles under a maximum Hertzian contact pressures of up to 3.0 GPa. Whereas all coatings were stable up to 10 million load cycles in paraffin oil at room temperature, reduced coating lifetime was found in SAE 0W‐30 engine oil at 120°C. It was shown how the coating hardness and the initial coating surface roughness influence the running‐in process and coating lifetime. No clear correlation between coating hardness and coating lifetime could be observed, but friction coefficients seem to be reduced with higher coating hardness. Very low friction down to ?0.03 in unmodified engine oils was found for the hardest ta‐C film.     

MoS2/ta‐C‐Kombinationsschichten hergestellt durch Laser‐Arc‐Technologie

MoS₂/ta‐C coatings produced by laserarc‐technology A series of MoS₂ and combined MoS₂/ta‐C coatings were prepared by lasercontrolled arc evaporation (Laser‐Arc) in order to study the tribological coating behaviour under vacuum and atmospheric conditions. Very low friction coefficients down to 0.005 were measured under high vacuum. By using a ta‐C underlayer beneath the MoS₂ a increased lifetime up to 5×10⁵ load cycles could be obtained. Also under atmospheric conditions the underlayer had a beneficial effect on coating performance.     

Sliding wear performance of metallic laser coatings against composite PTFE seals

Laser coatings are frequently used in applications where they slide against various elastomeric and polymeric seals or guide bands in different environments. Examples of such applications include hydraulics, maritime propulsion systems and components in pulp & paper industry. In this study highly corrosion resistant Inconel 625 (DIN Mat. No. 2.4856) and Thermanit 2509 super duplex stainless steel (～1.4501) coatings manufactured by novel coaxial hot‐wire laser cladding technique are tested in dry conditions at room temperature against various composite polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) seals. Despite only small difference in coating surface hardness, ～1.4501 and 2.4856 show significant differences in wear and friction performance against various seals. For instance, ～1.4501 is superior to 2.4856 against glass fiber and MoS₂ reinforced PTFE in terms of wear resistance and friction characteristics, whereas 2.4856 performs better against bronze reinforced PTFE seal. The reference Stellite laser coating, which is the hardest counter surface in this study, exhibits the best wear behavior against all the seal materials tested. The differences in wear performances are explained by cohesive and adhesive wear mechanisms.     

(Cr1‐x,Alx)N ein Review über ein vielseitig einsetzbares Schichtsystem

(Cr_1‐x,Al_x)N a review about a multi‐purpose coating system Nitride based coatings claimed a big market share for PVD‐coatings. Especially in the field for high temperature die casting and cutting operations chromium based coatings are well used. These coatings are also used in low temperature processes for the coating of machine parts. In the beginning of the nineties first examinations are done on the ternary system Chromium‐Aluminium‐Nitride. This system shows an excellent corrosion behaviour against many different liquids, but gains also a high hardness for a good wear behaviour. By changing the AlN to CrN content and the coating design CrAlN opens up a wide range for different coating applications. A major step for machine parts was the reducing of coating process temperature beneath 200 °C. This was only possible by using pulsed power supplies. CrAlN shows a very good performance on the fast growing market of coated machine parts e.g. on spindle bearings.     

PVD‐Schutzschichten für Werkzeuge des Präzisionsblankpressens

PVD protective coatings for precision molding tools Precision glass molding (PGM) is a replicative hot forming process for the production of complex optical components, such as aspherical lenses for digital and mobile phone cameras or optical elements for laser systems. The efficiency and thus also the profitability of the PGM depend on the unit price per pressed component, which correlates primarily with the service lifetime of the pressing tools. To increase tool lifetime, the tool surfaces are coated with protective coatings based on precious metals or carbon using physical vapour deposition (PVD). The PVD coating technology enables the deposition of thin coatings, which also follow more complex surface geometries and achieve a high surface quality. PVD coatings are also commonly used to protect tools from wear and corrosion. This paper presents two chromium‐based nitride hard coatings produced by an industrial PVD unit and investigated for their applicability for PGM. Two different coating architectures were implemented, on the one hand a single coating chromium aluminium nitride (Cr,Al)N coating and on the other hand a nanolaminar CrN/AlN coating with alternating layers of chromium nitride and aluminium nitride. The latter is a coating consisting of hundreds of nano‐layers, only a few nanometers thick. Both coatings, (Cr,Al)N and CrN/AlN, each have a thickness of s ～ 300 nm in order to follow the tool contour as closely as possible. The properties of the coating systems, which are of particular relevance for PGM, are considered. These include on the one hand the adhesion of glass, the roughness and topography of the surface and the adhesion between the coating and the tool material. In addition, the barrier effect of the coatings against diffusion of oxygen was investigated. In order to reproduce the thermal boundary conditions of the PGM, thermocyclic aging tests are performed and their influence on the different properties is described.     

From Alloying to Nanocomposites—Improved Performance of Hard Coatings

Nowadays a variety of different hard coatings are commercially available, the most widely used ones are TiN, TiC, TiCN, TiAlN, CrN, Al₂O₃, and combinations thereof, as well as some coatings with lubricating properties such as diamond‐like carbon (DLC), WC/C or MoS₂. To fulfil the industrial demands for improved coatings, a lower friction, a longer lifetime, a desired biological behavior or a better thermal stability in different environments, improved and application adapted coatings are developed. The different properties of a coating can be tuned to a desired value by alloying with suitable elements. Composite materials such as multilayer coatings and isotropic nanocomposite coatings, having structures in the nanometer range, can even show properties which can not be obtained by a single coating material alone. The authors review research and development work on the improvement of the overall coating performance. It mainly addresses alloying, the development of multilayer systems and the recently emerged field of nanocomposite coatings.     

Synthesis of bioactive β-TCP coatings with tailored physico-chemical properties on zirconia bioceramics

The objective of this work was to develop a synthesis procedure for the deposition of β-TCP coatings with tailored physico-chemical properties on zirconia bioceramics. The synthesis procedure involved two steps: (i) a rapid wet-chemical deposition of a biomimetic CaP coating and (ii) a subsequent post-deposition processing of the biomimetic CaP coating, which included a heat treatment between 800 and 1200 °C, followed by a short sonication in a water bath. By regulating the heating temperature the topography of the β-TCP coatings could be controlled. The average surface roughness (R_a) ranged from 42 nm for the coating that was heated at 900 °C (TCP-900) to 630 nm for the TCP-1200 coating. Moreover, the heating temperature also affected the dissolution rate of the coatings in a physiological solution, their protein-adsorption capacity and their bioactivity in a simulated body fluid.     

Surface roughness characterization of thermally sprayed and precision machined WC–Co and Alloy-625 coatings

Surface roughness characterization of thermally sprayed and precision machined WC–Co and Alloy-625 coatings was carried out. The objectives were to demonstrate that such difficult-to-machine coating surfaces could be machined with commercial machines and tools, and to characterize the surface finish of the machined coatings. The coatings were obtained using two thermal spraying processes: arc spraying and high velocity oxy-fuel spraying. Different machining techniques were tried to optimize the surface finishing of the coatings based on surface finish and time required. Machined samples were then examined using stylus roughness testers. Surface roughness parameters R_a and R_q were measured using various cut-off lengths, sampling lengths, and numbers of sampling and cut-off lengths to characterize the scaling behavior of the surfaces. Diamond turning of WC–Co demonstrated the advantage of high material removal rates, and diamond grinding of WC–Co produced good surface finish with relatively high material removal rates. Precision-machined WC–Co and Alloy-625 surfaces could be identified as self-affine fractals in a statistical sense within the correlation length, i.e. within the length scales studied from 0.08 to 8 mm. The surface roughness heights of the machined surfaces were found to be dependent on the scale of cut-off length as a power law.     

A Nature‐Inspired,Flexible Substrate Strategy for Future Wearable Electronics

Flexibility plays a vital role in wearable electronics. Repeated bending often leads to the dramatic decrease of conductivity because of the numerous microcracks formed in the metal coating layer, which is undesirable for flexible conductors. Herein, conductive textile‐based tactile sensors and metal‐coated polyurethane sponge‐based bending sensors with superior flexibility for monitoring human touch and arm motions are proposed, respectively. Tannic acid, a traditional mordant, is introduced to attach to various flexible substrates, providing a perfect platform for catalyst absorbing and subsequent electroless deposition (ELD). By understanding the nucleation, growth, and structure of electroless metal deposits, the surface morphology of metal nanoparticles can be controlled in nanoscale with simple variation of the plating time. When the electroless plating time is 20 min, the normalized resistance (R/R₀) of as‐made conductive fibers is only 1.6, which is much lower than a 60 min ELD sample at the same conditions (R/R₀ ≈ 5). This is because a large number of unfilled gaps between nanoparticles prevent metal films from cracking under bending. Importantly, the Kelvin problem is relevant to deposited conductive coatings because metallic cells have a honeycomb‐like structure, which is a rationale to explain the relationships of conductivity and flexibility.     

Microstructures and bond strengths of the calcium phosphate coatings formed on titanium from different simulated body fluids

Calcium phosphate (Ca-P) coatings were deposited on Ti substrates by a biomimetic method from m-SBF and 10× SBF, respectively. Comparative study of microstructures and bond strengths of the Ca-P coatings deposited from those different SBFs was carried out. Effect of the surface roughness of the substrates on the bond strength of the Ca-P coatings was also studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), inductive coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used to characterize the Ca-P coatings. The bond strengths between the coatings and Ti substrates were measured using an adhesive strength test. Results indicated that the ionic concentrations of the SBFs and the surface roughness of the substrate had a significant influence on the formation, morphology and bond strength of the Ca-P precipitates. The induction period of time to deposit a complete Ca-P layer from the m-SBF is much longer, but the Ca-P coating is denser and has higher bond strength than that formed from the 10× SBF. The Ti with a surface roughness of R_a 0.64 µm and R_z 2.81 µm favoures the formation of a compact Ca-P coating from the m-SBF with the highest bond strength of approximately 15.5 MPa.     

Abscheidung,Charakterisierung und Anwendung von Plasma‐Polymerschichten auf HMDSO‐Basis

Deposition, Characterisation and Application of HMDSO‐based Plasma Polymer Films High quality organosilicone coatings can be produced via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). In this article aspects of deposition, analysis and application of HMDSO/O₂ processes are presented. The coatings’ organic/inorganic character can be adjusted by an appropriate combination of plasma power and gas mixture which is shown by XPS. Particularly multi layer and gradient layer systems can be deposited within the same process. Quantitative chemical depth profiling of such layer systems can be performed by secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS). AFM investigations exhibit that the surface roughness of the coatings is determined by the appearance of hemispherical agglomerates, which is more pronounced, the more glass‐like the coatings are. As an example of use it is shown, that an appropriate HMDSO plasma treatment can distinctly improve the tribological behavior of elastomer devices. The presented work is done within a project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) entitled: “nano functionalization of interfaces for data‐, textile‐, building‐, medicine‐, bio‐, and aerospace‐ technology”.     

Sidewall roughness characterization and comparison between silicon and SU-8 microcomponents

Surface characterization of microcomponents provides key information to help understand and predict the performance of microdevices. For example, in a microgear transmission, the surface roughness has a strong effect on the friction, running life and power consumption. In a static fluid microdevice, the liquid distribution is influenced by the surface tension and capillary force, which are primarily determined by the surface roughness. In a flowing microchannel case, surface roughness results in unsteady secondary flows. In this paper, a study is presented to characterize the surface roughness of silicon and SU-8 microcomponents. The silicon components studied are fabricated using an ICP plasma etching system manufactured by Surface Technology Systems. The sidewall roughness of the component is measured using atomic force microscopy. Repeated measurements have been conducted at different sidewall depths of the microstructure. The AFM images of the measurements are present. The measurement results show that the sidewall is smoother at the lower level than that at the upper level in a Si microstructure, and the average roughness R_a obtained throughout the depth is 151.11 nm. The UltraThick SU-8 Process (UTSP) provides another way to fabricate microstructures as thick as 1 mm with a very vertical sidewall. The roughness contour of the sidewall shows that the surface topography is similar throughout the depth. The average roughness R_a is 46.46 nm. Other surface parameters, such as R_q, R_p − p, R_pk and R_sk, are also obtained and analysed. The implication of the smooth surface roughness of SU-8 structures to their applications is discussed in terms of transmission efficiency, the changes in friction to flowing liquid in a microchannel and the changes in the surface tension and capillary effect.     

Thermal stability of CrN<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> nanometric coatings deposited on stainless steel

Thin CrN _x coatings are often used as protective coatings for steel. In these applications, coated parts might be subjected to high temperatures that can alter the coatings structural and mechanical properties. In this work, the properties of nanometric CrN _x coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on AISI 304L stainless steel were studied by transmission electron microscopy, glazing incident X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, and nanoindentation. The effect of annealing, both in air and vacuum, on the coating crystal structure, surface morphology and hardness were also investigated. It was found that annealing in vacuum-induced phase transformation from CrN to Cr₂N, while after annealing in air only Cr₂O₃ phase was present. Surface roughness did not increase for annealing in vacuum. CrN _x coatings with higher Cr₂N phase content showed lower roughness increase for annealing in air. Measured hardness was >10 GPa for as-deposited CrN _x samples. An increase in hardness up to >20 GPa was found for vacuum-annealed samples.     

Tribologische Untersuchung bionischer und mikrostrukturierter Funktionsflächen

An established concept adjusting tribological properties and for increasing the wear resistance is presented by coatings. In addition to the material adaption of surfaces, there are efforts of applying structures on tool active parts in order to allow a further adjustment on the property profile. For this reason, the presented article investigates the influence of bionic and technologically textured surfaces on the friction and wear behavior with and without near‐net shaped wear‐resistant PVD coatings. Based on the example of nature, a honeycombed surface structure discovered on the head of scarab beetles as well as a dimple structure optimized for the manufacturing time were transferred on HSS steel by means of micro‐milling. The analyses focus on the influence of the surface structures, the effects of PVD coatings and their interactions on the friction and wear behavior. The investigations show that the tribological properties depend on each surface structure and the material pairing. Both the technological and the bionic structures show a reduction of the friction coefficient in combination with the material pairing 100Cr6 and WCCo compared to polished samples. Furthermore, it is shown that the CrAlN coating has no influence on the friction behavior, but rather leads to the desired increase in the wear resistance.     

Abscheidung superharter Kohlenstoffschichten mittels Laser‐Arco® auf dem Weg vom Labor in die industrielle Serienfertigung

Superhard carbon film deposition by means of Laser‐Arco® on the way from the Laboratory into the industrial series coating Diamond‐like carbon films (DLC) are more and more applied as wear protection coatings for components and tools due to their unique combination of high hardness, low friction and sticking tendency to metallic counter bodies. Up to now applied DLC films are hydrogen containing (a‐C:H) or metal carbon films (Me‐C:H) deposited by a plasma assisted CVD process from carbon‐hydrogen gas mixtures. Their wide industrial effort results from that the can be deposited with slowly modified coating machines for classical hard coating (e.g. TiN or CrN). A new generation DLC films are the hydrogen‐free ta‐C films (ta‐C = tetrahedral bounded amorphous carbon) with a between two and three‐times higher hardness and with a resulting higher wear resistance under extreme condition than classical DLC films. They have excellent emergency running properties at lubrication break down. Their industrial application is more difficult due to that they cannot deposited with modified coating machines for classical hard and DLC coating and a new technology with corresponding equipment was not available up to now. The laser controlled, pulsed arc deposition technology (Laser‐Arco®) of the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden has this potential. In kind of a Laser‐Arc‐Module‐source the ta‐C film deposition can be integrated in every industrial used deposition machine.     

Superhydrophobic Coatings on Cellulose‐Based Materials: Fabrication,Properties, and Applications

Wettability of a solid surface by a liquid plays an important role in several phenomena and applications, for example in adhesion, printing, and self‐cleaning. In particular, wetting of rough surfaces has attracted great scientific interest in recent decades. Superhydrophobic surfaces, which possess extraordinary water repelling properties due to their low surface energy and specific nanometer‐ and micrometer‐scale roughness, are of particular interest due to the great variety of potential applications ranging from self‐cleaning surfaces to microfluidic devices. In recent years, the potential of superhydrophobic cellulose‐based materials in the function of smart devices and functional clothing has been recognized, and in the past few years cellulose‐based materials have established themselves among the most frequently used substrates for superhydrophobic coatings. In this Review, over 40 different approaches to fabricate superhydrophobic coatings on cellulose‐based materials are discussed in detail. In addition to the anti‐wetting properties of the coatings, particular attention is paid to coating durability and other incorporated functionalities such as gas permeability, transparency, UV‐shielding, photoactivity, and self‐healing properties. Potential applications for the superhydrophobic cellulose‐based materials range from water‐ and stain‐repellent, self‐cleaning and breathable clothing to cheap and disposable lab‐on‐a‐chip devices made from renewable sources with reduced material consumption.     

CVD‐Diamantschleifstifte für den Werkzeug‐ und Formenbau. Abrasive Pencils for Tool and Die Making Coated by Diamond CVD

Recently developed compeDIA®‐ abrasive pencils have been produced and tested for the machining of cemented carbide molding tools. In order to produce abrasive pencils, carbide base plates have been grinded and coated with a diamond layer by a Hot‐Filament‐CVD‐process. The testing of the abrasive pencils took place with an ultra‐precision grinding machine on carbide workpieces. Surface roughness of the workpiece and its wheel life were the criteria for evaluation. For the specific adjustment of the grain size of the abrasive pencils, the adequate coating parameters were worked out, and the dependencies on basic influencing variables at coating procedures, such as nominal diameter and grinding length, were calculated. In order to be able to coat the grinded base plates with enough film adhesion, a practical pre‐treatment method was developed and tested, which removes the fringe zone, that was damaged during the grinding process. At present, the costs for the coating process are uneconomically high, though. By means of large‐scale production in connection with an automated pre‐treatment and coating it would be possible to lower the costs so far that they are on the same cost level with other coatings like TiN or TiAlN. The CVD‐Diamond abrasive pencils are very appropriate for tool and die making. It is to be expected that through further development of tools and through process optimization, the quality of the wrought workpiece can be ameliorated and surface finishes of R_a < 0,3 μm can be reached. The wheel life could be increased to appropriate values by optimization of the coating technology. The range of the machining parameters, in which the grinding process can be accomplished expediently without leading to a broken die, have been worked out. Afterwards, a die‐casting component with typically shaped elements was designed and an adequate molding tool prototype was crafted. With that, the basic conditions for tool‐ and die‐making were worked out in order to put into practice a fast and flexible machining of cemented carbide molding tools with the aid of those innovative abrasive pencils. In contrast to the traditional molding tool material made of brass, clear advantages in tool life can be made in the production of miniature serial‐parts by drawing, deep‐drawing or extrusion.