ANALYSIS OF FRACTURE AND WEAR RESISTANCE OF ZrN COATINGS

摘要

The article presents the results of mechanical and tribological studies of ZrN coatings that allowed the determination of their hardness, elasticity modulus, and scratch and wear resistance. Tests were carried out for 1, 1.4, and 2 μm thick ZrN coatings deposited on X5CrNi18-10 austenitic steel substrates by PVD technology. Hardness and Young's modulus of coatings, evaluated by nanoindentation, were within the 26-32 GPa, and 330-360 GPa ranges, respectively. Analysis of the adhesion of the coating to the substrate was carried out based on the results of the scratch test. The highest critical load values of L_(C1) and L_(C2) were measured for the 1.4 μm thick coating. Tribological tests performed using a ball-on-disc tribotester showed that the wear resistance increases with coating thickness. This was accompanied by a reduction of the coefficient of friction from 0.22 to 0.17.