Comparative study of surface roughness and tribological behavior during running-in period of hard coatings deposited by lateral rotating cathode arc

• Published in: Wear Vol. 268; no. 5; pp. 751 - 755
• Main Authors: Podgursky, V., Nisumaa, R., Adoberg, E., Surzhenkov, A., Sivitski, A., Kulu, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 11.02.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: AFM; Applied sciences; Arc deposition; Cathodes; Coatings; Deposition; Exact sciences and technology; Fretting; Friction, wear, lubrication; Hard surfacing; High speed tool steels; Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Nanostructure; PVD coatings; Surface topography; Tribology; AFM; Fretting; PVD coatings; Surface topography; Atomic force microscopy; Breaking in; Aluminium nitride; Silicon nitride; Roughness; Gaussian distribution; Titanium nitride; Rough surface; Tribological coatings; Friction coefficient; Physical vapor deposition; Height; Nanocomposite; High speed tool steel; Microdisplacement; Hard coating; Surface conditions; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2009.11.016

This study focuses on the influence of surface geometry of hard coatings on tribological behavior. TiN, TiAlN, AlTiN and nanocomposite (nc-Ti 1− x Al x N)/(a-Si 3N 4) (nACo) coatings were deposited by means of the lateral rotating cathode arc method on high speed steel (HSS) substrates. Surface topology (area of 50 μm × 50 μm, 10 μm × 10 μm and 5 μm × 5 μm) investigations by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that for all types of coatings the non-Gaussian height distribution function (HDF) is mainly due to the macroparticles. Factors and mechanisms affecting the value of the coefficient of friction (COF) during the running-in period were discussed.