Multicomponent nanostructured films for various tribological applications

Many engineering materials working under severe cutting, stamping, or bearing conditions including humid and corrosive environments, as well as temperature fluctuation require a combination of chemical, mechanical, and tribological properties. For load-bearing metallic implants, the combination of excellent mechanical and tribological properties with biocompatibility and bioactivity is also of great importance. Desired properties can be achieved in hard films based on carbides, borides and nitrides of transition metals by alloying with metallic (Al, Cr, Zr) or nonmetallic (O, P, Si, Ca) elements. The present work demonstrates the potential of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), magnetron sputtering (MS), and ion implantation assisted MS of SHS-composite targets to produce multicomponent nanostructured films with enhanced combination of properties. Three groups of recently developed films for mechanical engineering and medicine are considered: hard tribological Ti-(Al, Cr)-(Si, B, C, N) films with enhanced thermal stability, corrosion and oxidation resistance; nanocomposite and multilayered TiCrBN/WSe(x) films with improved lubrication; and multifunctional bioactive nanostructured (Ti, Ta)(Ca, Zr)-(C, N, O, Si, P) films (MuBiNaFs). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.