Diamond-like carbon coatings alloyed with chromium – nanocomposite structure and tribological behavior in conditions of dry and boundary lubricated friction

The results have been presented of the vacuum deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings alloyed with chromium investigation devoted to elucidate the mechanisms of their friction and wear in the conditions of unlubricated and partially lubricated tribological contact. It has been demonstrated that in these coatings the features of their micro- and nanocomposite structure formed by the nanosized inclusions of metallic chromium and its interstitials in the DLC matrix have a significant influence on the tribological behavior under dry friction. In the case of a boundary lubricated contact the common practice is to associate the main role of alloying elements with the peculiarities of their tribochemical interaction with the chemically active components of the lubricant. However the present investigation has not confirmed the existence of such a synergistic effect of to tribochemical interaction of alloying metal and chemically active lubricant additives for the coatings obtained via magnetron sputtering of chromium in acetylene-based reactive atmosphere.