D. Neerinck et al., DIAMOND-LIKE NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS (A-C-H A-SI-O) FOR TRIBOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS/, DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS, 7(2-5), 1998, pp. 468-471
Diamond-like nanocomposite (DLN) coatings (a-C:H/a-Si:O) are a particu
lar class of modified diamond-like carbon coatings, which can be predo
minantly described as two interpenetrating amorphous networks, one net
work being a diamond-like a-C:H network and the other a glass-like a-S
i:O network. Structural studies have been performed using X-ray diffra
ction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The two-networ
k description of the atomic bonding state is investigated by analysing
the C-C, C-Si and Si-O contributions to the C 1s and Si 2p XPS photol
ines. Tribological properties have been measured using standard ball-o
n-disk tests against a steel counterbody at 10N load, yielding a typic
al wear factor between 0.5 and 4 x 10(-7) mm(3) Nm(-1). The coefficien
t of friction against steel is typically between 0.05 and 0.15, even i
n humid air and under water. The low-friction and low-wear DLN coating
s, combined with low internal stress and good adhesion, make this type
of coatings an excellent candidate for many tribological applications
in the automotive, textile, chemical or biomedical industry. (C) 1998
Elsevier Science S.A.