Effect of the counterface material on the fretting behaviour of sputtered WSiN coatings

Fretting wear is a surface damage phenomenon that can occur in most industrial applications where the contact is affected by mechanical vibrations. This kind of damage can lead many times to critical failure. This study was focused on the effects of both the stroke and the counterface material on the fretting behaviour of sputtered WSiN amorphous coatings. Fretting tests were carried out with alumina and steel spheres against a flat AISI 310 steel coated surface with relative strokes ranging from 1 to 10 μm. The effects of these testing parameters on the friction and wear behaviours were studied. The tangential force and the applied strokes were monitored during the tests in order to build up the fretting loops. The surface morphology of the wear scars was analysed by optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to identify wear modes and fretting mechanisms. The results of the study showed that, for the studied strokes, all fretting regimes (stick, slip and partial slip) were observed, leading to different amounts of damage in both surfaces of the contact.