No abstract

The paper investigates the variation of friction force (Fx) during reciprocating sliding tests on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films. The analysis of the friction behavior during the run-in period is the focus of the study. The NCD films were grown using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MW-PECVD) on single-crystalline diamond SCD(110) substrates. Reciprocating sliding tests were conducted under 500 and 2000 g of normal load using Si3N4 balls as a counter body. The friction force permanently varies during the test, namely Fx value can locally increase or decrease in each cycle of sliding. The distribution of friction force drops (dFx) was extracted from the experimental data using a specially developed program. The analysis revealed a power-law distribution f-µ of dFx for the early stage of the run-in with the exponent value (µ) in the range from 0.6 to 2.9. In addition, the frequency power spectrum of Fx time series follows power-law distribution f-α with α value in the range of 1.0–2.0, with the highest values (1.6–2.0) for the initial stage of the run-in. No power-law distribution of dFx was found for the later stage of the run-in and the steady-state periods of sliding with the exception for periods where a relatively extended decrease of coefficient of friction (COF) was observed. The asperity interlocking leads to the stick-slip like sliding at the early stage of the run-in. This tribological behavior can be related to the self-organized criticality (SOC). The emergence of dissipative structures at the later stages of the run-in, namely the formation of ripples, carbonaceous tribolayer, etc., can be associated with the self-organization (SO).

In this study we determined average residual stresses in hard nitride PVD AlCrN, TiAlN and TiCN coatings through simultaneous measurement of length variation in thin-walled tubular substrates and of the curvature of plate substrates. A device for measurement of the length of the tube was developed. Inside the depositing chamber the tube and the plate were fixed parallel in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode. One batch of plate samples was produced by deposition on front surface (facing the cathode) and the other batch, by deposition on back surface (with back to the cathode). The cross-sectional microstructure and thickness of the coatings were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thicknesses of the coatings deposited on front and back surfaces of the plates and on the tube were significantly different. The values of average compressive residual stresses, determined by both methods, were very high irrespective of coating thickness. It was found that the values of compressive residual stresses in the coating were dependent on the shape of the substrate and on its position in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode.