Improved anti-wear performance of nanostructured titanium boron nitride coatings

Titanium boron nitride coatings were synthesized by ion beam assisted sputter deposition. Structural analysis showed that the coatings had a composite structure comprising nanosized TiB2/TiN crystallites and a thin layer matrix of hexagonal BN. Although, the hardness of these Ti–B–N coatings was generally lower than that of pure TiB2, improved anti-wear performance was observed. This improvement is explained by the beneficial configuration of hard nanoparticles embedded in a soft lubricating matrix, which increases the coating’s capability to dissipate stress without brittle fracture. Effects of process parameters, such as bombarding energy and nitrogen flow rate were also thoroughly studied.