Sliding wear behavior of magnetron sputtered chromium carbide thin films

Purpose The purpose of this technical paper is to investigate the friction and wear behavior of inexpensive and durable cutting tools, developed for wood machining using duplex treatment. Design/methodology/approach Cr–(WC–Co) coatings were deposited onto carburized low-alloy steel substrate by a reactive magnetron sputtering. The total coating thickness was approximately 2 μm. Unlubricated wear tests have been performed using a disc sample sliding against an alumina ball (Al2O3) and a wood (beech) pin. Findings The paper provides information about the effect of duplex treatment on the surface properties of low-alloy steel against wood and offers practical help for the researchers in coating topic. Originality/value Experimental results showed that sliding wear properties of the selected coatings are strongly dependent on the counter-face material. When tested against alumina balls, the wear mechanisms are oxidative wear followed by a combination of adhesive and abrasive wear, while a combination of an oxidative and adhesive wear was the main wear mechanism observed against a wood pin.