Effect of Single and Duplex Thin Hard Film Coatings on the Wear Resistance of 1.2343 Tool Steel

In aluminum extrusion process, tool steels used as die materials suffer from mechanical, thermal and tribological stresses causing plastic deformation, wear and heat checking during hot metal flow. Thin hard film coatings like TiN, (Ti,Al)N and CrN are preferred in order to improve the surface properties of the tools. These coatings can reduce the friction force, minimize the adhesive interaction between the die and billet pairs and decrease the plastic deformation of the tool. In this study, effect of single (CrN and AlTiN) and duplex (CrN + AlTiN) thin hard films on the hot wear behavior of DIN 1.2343 tool steel was investigated. Wear tests were performed both at room temperature and elevated temperature to simulate the conditions of aluminum extrusion process. Based on the evaluation of coefficient of friction values, specific wear rates and worn surface examinations, the duplex coating, which had the best performance in the RT wear test showed good resistance to high temperature wear under the simulated aluminum extrusion conditions.