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.