Skip to main content
Log in

An investigation of tribological properties of CN and TiCN coatings

  • Surface Engineering
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Today the tool industry on a worldwide basis uses hard, wear-resistant, and low-friction coatings produced by different processes such as electrochemical or electroless methods, spray technologies, thermochemical, chemical-vapor deposition (CVD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD). In the current work, two different coatings, nitrocarburized (CN) and titanium carbonitride (TiCN) on M2-grade tool steel, were prepared by commercial diffusion and PVD techniques, respectively. Properties such as thickness, roughness, and hardness were characterized using a variety of techniques, including glow-discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A crossed-cylinders wear-testing machine was used to investigate the performances of both coatings under lubrication. The effect of coatings on the performance of lubricants under a range of wear-test conditions was also examined. Degradation of lubricants during tribological testing was explored by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. B. Bhushan and B.K. Gupta: Handbook of Tribology—Materials, Coatings, and Surface Treatments, Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, FL, 1997, p. 6.1.

    Google Scholar 

  2. G.W. Stachowiak: “Tribology of Wear Resistant Surfaces,” Mater. Forum, 1998, 22, pp. 63–77.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. A.R. Castle and D.R. Gabe: “Chromium Diffusion Coatings,” Int. Mater. Rev., 1999, 44, pp. 37–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. B. Bhushan: Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Devices, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  5. M.T. Dugger, Y.W. Chung, B. Bhushan, and W. Rothschild: “Friction, Wear and Interfacial Chemistry in Thin-Film Magnetic Rigid Disk Files,” J. Tribol. (Trans. ASME), 1990, 112, pp. 238–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. B. Mills and A.H. Redford: “Wear Testing of Die Materials Rubbing Against Aluminium and Copper,” Ann. CIRP, 1979, 28, pp. 165–69.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. P. Wallen and S. Hogmark: “Influence of TiN Coating on Wear on High Speed Steel at Elevated Temperature,” Wear, 1989, 130, pp. 123–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. T. Sato, Y. Tada, M. Ozaki, K. Hoke, and T. Besshi: “A Crossed-Cylinders Testing for Evaluation of Wear and Tribological Properties of Coated Tools,” Wear, 1994, 178, pp. 95–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. T. Sato, T. Besshi, D. Sato, and K. Inouchi: “Evaluation of Wear and Tribological Properties of Coatings Rubbing Against Copper,” Wear, 1998, 220, pp. 154–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. B. Bhushan and B.K. Gupta: Handbook of Tribology—Materials, Coatings, and Surface Treatments, Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, FL, 1997, p. 2.1.

    Google Scholar 

  11. J. Slycke and L. Sproge: “Kinetics of the Gaseous Nitrocarburising Process,” Surf. Eng., 1989, 5, pp. 125–40.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. B.N. Barman: “Behavioral Differences between Group I and Group II Base Oils During Thermo-Oxidative Degradation,” Tribol. Int., 2002, 35, pp. 15–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. J.P. Coates and L.C. Setti: “Infrared Spectroscopic Methods for the Study of Lubricant Oxidation Products,” ASLE Trans., 1986, 29, pp. 394–401.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Adhvaryu, J.M. Perez, I.D. Singh, and O.S. Tyagi: “Spectroscopic Studies of Oxidative Degradation of Base Oils,” Energy Fuels, 1998, 2, pp. 1369–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. W.F. Bowman and G.W. Stachowiak: “The Effect of Base Oil Oxidation on Scuffing,” Tribol. Lett., 1998, 4, pp. 59–66.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhu, B., Kelly, G.L. & Mardel, J. An investigation of tribological properties of CN and TiCN coatings. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 13, 481–487 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1361/10599490420025

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1361/10599490420025

Keywords

Navigation