Tribologische Charakterisierung metalldotierter DLC-Schichten

Diamond like carbon (DLC or a-C:H) coatings can help to solve friction and wear problems. The improvement of coatings can help to solve friction and wear problems. The improvement of coatings can be steered on the base of tribological laboratory tests. An often used method is a gross slip fretting test (cyclic motion) with a ball-on-flat configuration. A meaningful tribological characterisation of coatings at room temperature has to take into account effects of humidity and ball material. The friction and wear behaviour of different carbon based coatings with and without metal doping was investigated at RT in dry, normal and moist air, respectively. Counter bodies were balls of bearing steel and ceramic (Al2O3 and Si3N4). The lowest friction is found for a-C:H and a-C:H:C, metal doped coatings show higher friction and reduced wear resistance. The worst friction and war behaviour is found to be better against 100Cr6 and Al2O3 than against Si3N4.