Wear Rate of TiN Coatings: Wear and Hardness Determination
Authors
Larsen, Claudia ; Skucha, Maciej Bartosz
Term
4. term (FYS10)
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-10-31
Pages
255
Abstract
Dette projekt undersøger slidadfærd og hårdhed af titanium nitrid (TiN) belægninger på rustfrit stål og hvordan filmlagets tykkelse og sputterparametre påvirker vedhæftning og slidmodstand, med ubelagt stål som reference. TiN blev deponeret ved DC magnetronsputtering, og prøverne blev karakteriseret med tribometerforsøg ved varierende belastninger og cyklustal for at bestemme slidrater, linjeprofilering af slidspor, Vickers-mikrohårdhedsmålinger samt SEM og røntgendiffraktion. For 1500 nm tykke TiN-film viste tribometermålinger, at ved moderate og høje belastninger overskred sliddybden ofte belægningens tykkelse og nåede op til omkring 6000 nm, hvilket gennembrød laget, blotlagde stålsubstratet og gav ukontrolleret slid og relativt høje slidrater. SEM bekræftede mekaniske skader og revnedannelse ved slidsporets kanter, mens XRD viste nanokrystallinsk TiN med udpræget (111)-orientering og en gitterparameter omkring 4,24 Å; skarpe substrattoppe var synlige gennem det tynde lag. Overordnet yder TiN-belægninger en vis slidbeskyttelse, men den begrænsede tykkelse og vedhæftning reducerer bæreevnen under højere belastninger. Resultaterne peger på, at større belægningstykkelse og forbedret vedhæftning sandsynligvis vil øge slidmodstanden og tydeligere demonstrere TiN-lagets potentiale, og at der er en sammenhæng mellem belægningsparametre, filmstruktur og tribologisk ydeevne.
This project investigates the wear behavior and hardness of titanium nitride (TiN) coatings on stainless steel and how film thickness and sputtering parameters influence adhesion and wear resistance, using uncoated steel as a reference. TiN was deposited by DC magnetron sputtering, and samples were characterized by tribometer tests at varying loads and cycle counts to determine wear rates, line profiling of wear tracks, Vickers microhardness measurements, and SEM and X-ray diffraction. For 1500 nm TiN films, tribometer results showed that under moderate and high loads the wear depth often exceeded the coating thickness, reaching about 6000 nm, which penetrated the layer, exposed the stainless steel substrate, and led to uncontrolled wear and relatively high wear rates. SEM confirmed mechanical damage and cracking at wear track edges, while XRD indicated nanocrystalline TiN with strong (111) texture and a lattice parameter around 4.24 Å; sharp substrate peaks remained visible through the thin coating. Overall, TiN provides some wear protection, but limited thickness and adhesion constrain load-bearing capacity at higher loads. The findings suggest that increasing coating thickness and improving adhesion would likely enhance wear resistance and more clearly reveal the coating’s capabilities, and they point to a correlation between coating parameters, film structure, and tribological performance.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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