DLC coatings for tribotechnical purposes: Features of the structure and wear resistance

Abstract

The article presents the results of metal-physical and tribological studies of carbon thin films - diamond-like coatings (DLC), obtained by vacuum ion-plasma technology. The most interesting results are the gradient distribution of the ratio of carbon electronic configurations sp3/sp2 over the depth of the coating, obtained by the XPS method. The structure of such a coating, as it approaches the substrate, transforms from DLC to amorphous graphite (GLC). This feature manifests itself in the mechanism of coating wear during tribological tests. Its wear occurs by the abrasion mechanism, similar to high-strength rubbers.