TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF TIN AND TIC FILMS IN VACUUM AT HIGH-TEMPERATURE

TiN and TiC films were deposited by activated reactive evaporation usi ng a hollow cathode discharge. Their tribological properties were stud ied by the ring-on-disc tribotester. The rubbed surface of the disc sa mples was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their roughnes s profile was measured by the SOLANDEKTAK II roughness tester. The fri ction coefficient was about 0.14 for the wear couple of the TiN-coated ring against the TiC-coated disc in air at room temperature, and the wear couple also showed excellent wear resistance. The friction coeffi cient decreased with the increase of temperature for the wear couple o f the TiN-coated ring against the TiC-coated disc in a vacuum of press ure 2.6 x 10(-3) Pa at temperatures up to 623 K, and the wear trace of the disc samples was very light for 10 min at 673 K after the frictio n surface of the weak couple was ground in for 5 min at 473 K and for 5 min at 623 K, in a vacuum of pressure 2.6 x 10(-3) Pa.