The tribological characteristics of titanium nitride coatings. Part I. Coating thickness effects

• Published in: Wear Vol. 194; no. 1; pp. 12 - 21
• Main Authors: Guu, Yeong Yan, Lin, Jen Fin, Ai, Chi-Fong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 1996; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Adhesion; Applied sciences; Cathodic arc; Contact of materials. Friction. Wear; Exact sciences and technology; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Titanium nitride; Wear; Titanium nitride; Cathodic arc; Adhesion; Wear; Transition metal; Steel; Experimental study; Coatings; Thickness; Transition metal compounds; Friction; Ion plating; Titanium; SEM; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/0043-1648(95)06630-6

The tribological behavior of specimens coated by two layers, titanium nitride film as the top layer and titanium film as the underlayer, is studied. The coating layers of the bottom specimens were deposited using the cathodic arc ion plating process technique. Experiments were carried out on a wear test machine using a thrust-washer adapter to simulate the surface contacts between the steel ring (the upper specimen) and the titanium nitride coated washer (the bottom specimen). We address the subject about the influence of the thickness of the two coating layers on tribological behavior, wear mechanism, specimen's hardness and adhesive strength. A thin titanium nitride film in combination with a thick titanium film attenuates the adhesive strength, resulting in a significant increase in wear rate. The influence of the titanium nitride or titanium thickness on the friction coefficient is quite limited at higher sliding speeds. The specimen's hardness is increased by thickening the titanium nitride layer, but is lowered by increasing the titanium thickness. When the specimen's sliding speed is increased, both the wear rates and the friction coefficients show significant decline.