Comparative Study of Tribological and Mechanical Properties Between Single Layers of Al2O3 and Si3N4 Deposited on AISI 316 Stainless Steel.

Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ coatings have been extensively studied separately, showing excellent performance in resistance to corrosion and wear. In the present work, the structural, morphological, mechanical and tribological properties of Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ single-layer coatings deposited on AISI 316 stainless steel substrates were studied by means of the R. F. Magnetron Sputtering technique. By X-ray diffraction (XRD) The structures of the coatings were determined, the chemical composition was studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). By means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) the grain size and roughness were analyzed, through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) the wear surfaces produced by the Pin-On-Disk and the Scratch tests were studied. By nanoindentation technique the behavior in hardness and elastic modulus was evaluated, finding better performance in the Si₃N₄ coating. The friction coefficient was evaluated by Pin-On-Disk tests in dry and lubricated environments. The critical load against adhesive wear was determined for Al₂O₃ and for Si₃N₄. This study develops a comparison between the mechanical and tribological properties of the mentioned coatings, proposing their possible application in components of the food and pharmaceutical industry that are subjected to phenomena where Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ coatings could mitigate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]