AlCrVN coatings deposited by cathodic arc: Friction and wear properties evaluated using reciprocating sliding test

AlCrN coatings have long been used to endure the lifetime of cutting tools due to their high hardness and good mechanical qualities. Vanadium (V) additions to AlCrN coatings were studied for their mechanical and tribological properties against Al2O3 counterparts using the linear reciprocating sliding test. The AlCrN and AlCrVN coatings were deposited using cathodic multi-arc evaporation to steel substrates. We evaluated the effect of a high fraction of V into equimolar Al and Cr coatings, which is different from those reported in previous works. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the structure remained as the metastable face center cubic. Microidentation tests demonstrated that AlCrVN coating has a higher hardness than AlCrN coating, probably due to an improved microstructure and larger nitrogen incorporation. The wear resistance of the hard steel substrate was significantly increased using both hard coatings. However, no significant changes were observed in the coefficient of friction and wear rate. The results show that V addition significantly improved the mechanical and adhesive capabilities of the AlCrN coating without compromising the oxidation resistance at moderate temperatures (< 500 C).

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of adding vanadium to AlCrN coatings. The results showed that vanadium addition significantly improved the hardness and wear resistance of AlCrN coatings, without compromising the oxidation resistance.