Investigation of the nanostructure and wear properties of physical vapor deposited CrCuN nanocomposite coatings

Abstract

This paper presents results on the PVD CrCuN nanocomposite coating system, in which the immiscibility of Cr (containing a supersaturation of nitrogen) and Cu offers the potential of a predominantly metallic (and therefore tough) nanocomposite, composed of

CrCuAgN PVD nanocomposite coatings: Effects of annealing on coating morphology and nanostructure

“…The hardness to elastic modulus (H/E) ratio is now widely recognised as being a more important and effective property optimisation parameter than hardness (H) alone in defining the mechanical behaviour of tribological coatings on relatively soft and/or compliant substrates (such as low-alloy steels, light metals and other non-ferrous alloys), especially in applications other than cutting and forming operations [27,[29][30][31][32]. However, it is important -particularly for metallic nanostructured and amorphous tribological coatings -that this parameter is considered together with other factors such as system tribochemistry and oxidation kinetics (depending on the operating environment and choice of counterface material).…”

Effect of Cu Content on the Structure, and Performance of Substoichiometric Cr–N Coatings

“…There are only limited studies available on high-temperature tribological performance of Cu-Cr-N coatings [14][15][16] and to the best of our knowledge there are no tribological studies over 500°C. It is within this context that metallic Cu-Cr-N coatings are being deposited and investigated.…”

“…Tribological experiments at 50°C resulted in higher wear rates than at 100 and 150°C, where wear was observed. Baker et al [15] evaluated the wear performance of Cu-Cr-N coatings at room temperature and found that a nanostructured coating consisting of Cr(N)/ Cr 2 N grains in the 1-3-nm range, separated by regions of intergranular Cu, resulted in improved resistance under impact test conditions. Joseph et al [16] studied the tribological performance of Cu-containing coatings, namely Cu-Mo-N, at room temperature.…”

The nanostructure, wear and corrosion performance of arc-evaporated CrBxNy nanocomposite coatings

“…These results indicate that the single phase CrN coating has a lower resistance against abrasive wear than the nanocomposite CrB x N y coatings. As stated in section 3.2, nanocomposite coatings are known to offer increased hardness compared to signle phase nitride coatings, butpossibly even more important for wear resistance the nanocomposite structure also leads to higher H/E ratios and fracture toughness [6,20,35]. Furthermore, the oxidation resistance for TiN and CrN based nanocomposite coatings has also been found to increase compared to single phase nitrides due to the strong bonding between the nanocrystallites and amorphous grain boundary phase, hindering cation and anion diffusion and resulting in lower oxidation rates at the surface [3,51].…”

“…hardness, low elastic modulus and low friction [1,2]. Much work has been undertaken on TiN-Si 3 N 4 [3], Ti-B-N [4,5], Cr-Cu-N [6][7] and MeC-DLC systems [8]. Such coatings are promising candidates for limiting or even replacing environmentally problematic lubricants when deposited onto tools or engineering components subjected to sliding contacts.…”