Wear studies of (Ti–Al)N coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

Titanium–aluminium nitride coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrates by reactive dc magnetron sputtering using a composite target. Coatings were prepared by varying nitrogen flow ratio systematically. Wear studies of (Ti–Al)N coatings were studied methodically for all the coated samples. Wear tests were performed on Plint make reciprocating wear tester with ball-on-plate configuration (model TE-70). All the deposited samples were tested at 3 and 6 N loads and at 5 and 15 Hz frequencies against hard chrome steel balls. The tests were performed for two different durations of 10 and 30 min. To highlight the initial interaction mechanism of coating-ball interface, wear tests were also carried out on samples for shorter durations of 10, 30 and 60 s. Coatings were characterised, in addition, for phase analysis by X-ray diffraction, structure and compositional analysis by SEM coupled with EDAX and surface hardness by Knoop microhardness tester.