Effect of active gas mixture composition on tribological behavior of coatings obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering of chromium in acetylene–nitrogen and acetylene–air gas mixtures

The tribological properties of chromium-based coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in argon–acetylene–nitrogen and argon–acetylene–air mixtures of different volume compositions have been studied. The coatings acquired in acetylene–nitrogen gas mixture have DLC structure and demonstrate high mechanical characteristics and low coefficient of friction values in dry friction. Although the coefficient of friction of these coatings has a tendency to decrease with the increasing nitrogen volume concentration in the mixture (until the values below 0.1 in dry friction in pair with silicon nitride), their performance diminishes at high contact pressures. This decrease was maximal for coatings deposited in acetylene–nitrogen gas mixture, with 80 vol % of nitrogen. The substitution of nitrogen with air is shown to considerably improve the performance, but a further increase in the air volume fraction above 85 vol % provokes a drastic decrease in the efficiency, especially at high contact pressures. The possible mechanisms of these effects and the abilities of their elimination are discussed, as well.