The paper reports the study of a-C: H and a-C:H:Si diamond-like carbon coatings obtained in plasma-assisted
chemical vapour deposition processes PACVD. The influence of the coatings on tribological properties of tribopairs
under dry friction and in lubrication with synthetic oil PAO-8 and selected ionic liquid was evaluated.
To perform the analysis, 100Cr6 steel samples uncoated and coated with a-C:H and a-C:H:Si were compared.
Surface topography studies were performed using an atomic force microscope. Using SEM with an EDS analyser,
the surface morphology of the coatings was observed, and the elements contained in the coatings were identified.
Tribotests were carried out in a ball-on-disc tribotester under dry friction and with lubricants. The characteristics
of the texture of the samples before and after the tribotests were determined using a confocal microscope in an
interferometric mode. The test results showed that the tribo-pairs with a-C:H in lubrication with ionic liquid had
the best tribological characteristics, i.e., the lowest coefficient of sliding friction.