Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

High Wear Resistance of Magnetron Sputtered Cr80Si20N Nanocomposite Coatings: Almost Independent of Hardness

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Tribology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hardness has been popularly considered as an essential factor defining the wear resistance of hard coatings. Here, we report magnetron sputtered Cr80Si20N nanocomposite coatings, of widely varied packing densities, that exhibited identical specific wear rates, while the hardness changed over a wide range (from ~12 to ~36 GPa). All the Cr80Si20N coatings were free of extended and uninterrupted columnar boundaries, and retained low specific wear rates in the ball-on-plate sliding tests against Al2O3 counterpart with a normal load of 5 N (less than 3.0 × 10−16 m3/N m under ambient condition and less than 2.0 × 10−15 m3/N m under 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, respectively). Post examination reveals extensive interruption or termination of cracks in the wear tracks of the under-dense coatings, indicative of extrinsic toughening mechanisms by effective relief of local contact stress. Our results suggest that a critical role of toughening rather than hardening, played in enhancing the wear resistance of hard coatings, and thus would pave a way to develop highly wear-resistant coatings with a low hardness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. PalDey, S., Deevi, S.C.: Properties of single layer and gradient (Ti,Al)N coatings. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 361, 1–8 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bhushan, B.: Modern Tribology Handbook. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hovsepian, P., Luo, Q., Robinson, G., Pittman, M., Howarth, M., Doerwald, D., Tietema, R., Sim, W., Deeming, A., Zeus, T.: TiAlN/VN superlattice structured PVD coatings: a new alternative in machining of aluminium alloys for aerospace and automotive components. Surf. Coat. Technol. 201, 265–272 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Patscheider, J., Zehnder, T., Diserens, M.: Structure–performance relations in nanocomposite coatings. Surf. Coat. Technol. 146–147, 201–208 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hsieh, J.H., Tan, A.L.K., Zeng, X.T.: Oxidation and wear behaviors of Ti-based thin films. Surf. Coat. Technol. 201, 4094–4098 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Cheng, Y.H., Browne, T., Heckerman, B., Meletis, E.I.: Mechanical and tribological properties of nanocomposite TiSiN coatings. Surf. Coat. Technol. 204, 2123–2129 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ge, F., Zhu, P., Meng, F., Xue, Q., Huang, F.: Achieving very low wear rates in binary transition-metal nitrides: The case of magnetron sputtered dense and highly oriented VN coatings. Surf. Coat. Technol. 248, 81–90 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Leyland, A., Matthews, A.: On the significance of the H/E ratio in wear control: a nanocomposite coating approach to optimised tribological behaviour. Wear 246, 1–11 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ni, W., Cheng, Y.-T., Lukitsch, M.J., Weiner, A.M., Lev, L.C., Grummon, D.S.: Effects of the ratio of hardness to Young’s modulus on the friction and wear behavior of bilayer coatings. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 4028–4030 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ehiasarian, A.P., Hovsepian, P.E., Hultman, L., Helmersson, U.: Comparison of microstructure and mechanical properties of chromium nitride-based coatings deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering and by the combined steered cathodic arc/unbalanced magnetron technique. Thin Solid Films. 457, 270–277 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mendibide, C., Fontaine, J., Steyer, P., Esnouf, C.: Dry sliding wear model of nanometer scale multilayered TiN/CrN PVD hard coatings. Tribol. Lett. 17, 779–789 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Luo, Q., Rainforth, W.M.: TEM observations of wear mechanisms of TiAlCrN and TiAlN/CrN coatings grown by combined steered-arc/unbalanced magnetron deposition. Wear. 225–229, 74–82 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fischer, T.E., Anderson, M.P., Jahanmir, S.: Influence of fracture toughness on the wear resistance of yttria-doped zirconium oxide. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 72, 252–257 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ge, F., Zhu, P., Wang, H., Meng, F., Li, S., Huang, F.: Friction and wear behavior of magnetron co-sputtered V–Si–N coatings. Wear 315, 17–24 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ge, F., Chen, C., Shu, R., Meng, F., Li, P., Huang, F.: Hard and wear resistant VB2 coatings deposited by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. Vacuum 135, 66–72 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ge, F., Zhu, P., Meng, F., Huang, F.: Enhancing the wear resistance of magnetron sputtered VN coating by Si addition. Wear 354–355, 32–40 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rainforth, W.M.: The wear behaviour of oxide ceramics-A Review. J. Mater. Sci. 9, 6705–6721 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Xie, Z., Hoffman, M., Munroe, P., Bendavid, A., Martin, P.: Deformation mechanisms of TiN multilayer coatings alternated by ductile or stiff interlayers. Acta Mater. 56, 852–861 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Nordin, M., Larsson, M., Hogmark, S.: Wear resistance of multilayered PVD TiN/TaN on HSS. Surf. Coat. Technol. 120–121, 528–534 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Wo, P.C., Zhao, X.L., Munroe, P.R., Zhou, Z.F., Li, K.Y., Habibi, D., Xie, Z.H.: Extremely hard, damage-tolerant ceramic coatings with functionally graded, periodically varying architecture. Acta Mater. 61, 193–204 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Chang, C.-L., Lin, C.-T., Tsai, P.-C., Ho, W.-Y., Wang, D.-Y.: Influence of bias voltages on the structure and wear properties of TiSiN coating synthesized by cathodic arc plasma evaporation. Thin Solid Films. 516, 5324–5329 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Ge, F., Shao, T., Jia, C., Li, P., Huang, F.: Tribological behaviors of a magnetron sputtered CrSiN coating under ambient air and wet environments. Surf. Coat. Technol. 332, 304–311 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Launey, B.M.E., Ritchie, R.O.: On the fracture toughness of advanced materials. Adv. Mater. 94720, 2103–2110 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Ritchie, R.O.: The conflicts between strength and toughness. Nat. Mater. 10, 817–822 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wood, R.J.K.: Tribo-corrosion of coatings: a review. J. Phys. D 40, 5502–5521 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ahmed, M.S., Munroe, P., Jiang, Z.-T., Zhao, X., Wajrak, M., Guo, H., Rickard, W., Xie, Z.: Corrosion- and damage-resistant nitride coatings for steel. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 95, 2997–3004 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Daniel, R., Meindlhumer, M., Baumegger, W., Zalesak, J., Sartory, B., Burghammer, M., Mitterer, C., Keckes, J.: Grain boundary design of thin films: using tilted brittle interfaces for multiple crack deflection toughening. Acta Mater. 122, 130–137 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Wo, P.C., Munroe, P.R., Zhou, Z.F., Li, K.Y., Xie, Z.H.: Effects of TiN sublayers on the response of TiSiN nanocomposite coatings to nanoidentation and scratching contacts. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 527, 4447–4457 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Tilbrook, M.T., Paton, D.J., Xie, Z., Hoffman, M.: Microstructural effects on indentation failure mechanisms in TiN coatings: Finite element simulations. Acta Mater. 55, 2489–2501 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This Research is supported by National Key R&D Plan (No. 2016YFC1400605), Zhejiang Key Research and Development Program (No. 2017C01001), Natural Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB643302), Applied Research Funds for Public Welfare Project of Zhejiang Province (No. 2016C33094).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China

    Fangfang Ge, Congcong Jia, Peng Li, Ping Zhu & Feng Huang

  2. Key Laboratory of Optical Engineering, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 400047, China

    Ke Li

  3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400047, China

    Tao Shao

Authors
  1. Fangfang Ge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Congcong Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ke Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ping Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tao Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Feng Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Feng Huang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ge, F., Jia, C., Li, K. et al. High Wear Resistance of Magnetron Sputtered Cr80Si20N Nanocomposite Coatings: Almost Independent of Hardness. Tribol Lett 66, 70 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-018-1022-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-018-1022-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation