RECENT PROGRESS IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE THERMAL-PROPERTIES OF HARD COATINGS

The study of the thermal properties of hard coatings offers great prac tical interest to better understand the heat transfer which occurs bet ween the coated tool and the piece. A non-destructive and non-contact method, based on thermal waves, has been especially designed for the a nalysis of hard coatings. The thermal effusivity, also called the heat transmission coefficient, and the thermal diffusivity are estimated. These properties describe the dynamic thermal behavior of the coating during its use. The technique is also sensitive to the thermal contact resistance which measures the thermal barrier effect of the coating-s ubstrate interface, providing an estimation of the quality of the cont act. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.