A comparative study of the tribological behaviour of PVD coatings on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy

► Evaluation of dry sliding behaviour of CrN, CrN/NbN and WC/C-coated Ti-6Al-4V. ► All the PVD coatings improved the wear resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. ► Critical load identified for each coated system: highest for CrN and WC/C. ► Only multilayer WC/C coating improved wear resistance and decreased friction.