TRIBOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MULTILAYER VACUUM-ARC COATINGS TiN/ZrN

By means of vacuum-arc deposition method, nanostructured multilayer coatings TiN/ZrN with the number of layers 134 - 533 and the average thickness of layers 20 ... 125 nm have been synthesized. Good planarity of the obtained in the nanometer range layers of plasma streams in reactive environment has been revealed. As a model of critical operating conditions for the coatings, the mechanisms of phase-structural changes in the surface layers have been established, under the action of an aggressive atmosphere of oxygen at high temperature (700 degrees C). The influence of thickness parameter of the multilayer system on its hardness has been shown. It has been determined that the highest hardness of 42 GPa and the lowest abrasive wear of the coating 1.3.10(-5) mm(3).N-1. mm(-1) and the counterbody 1.9.10(-6) mm(3).N-1.mm(-1) are inherent to the system TiN/ZrN with the smallest thickness of layers of 20 nm in a period. The obtained results are explained by the influence of the size factor of interphase boundaries, which is magnified in a multilayer system with a nanometer thickness of layers.