Scratch adhesion testing of nanophase diamond coatings on industrial substrates

摘要

Nanophase diamond coatings are deposited in vacuum onto almost any substrate by a laser ablation method which provides a highly processed plasma containing multiply-charged keV carbon ions. The high energies of condensation of these ions produce interfacial layers between the coating and substrate materials, which results in levels of adhesion that allow the protection of substrates subjected to harsh environmental conditions. In this work, a commercially available scratch tester was used to test adhesion of nanophase diamond coatings on steel and carbide substrates. A data analysis method was introduced to interpret the test measurements and assess the adhesion of coatings on these important industrial substrates.