Effect of vanadium content on microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of TaVCN composite films

TaVCN Nano-composite films with different vanadium contents were synthesized by multi-target magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of TaVCN films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, nano-indentation, high-temperature ball-on-disc tribo-meter technology. The results show that TaVCN films exhibite the fcc crystal structure and base-centered orthor hombic structure. The hardness first increases and then decreases with increasing vanadium content in the films and the highest value is 31.7 GPa, at 26.85% (atomic fraction) V. The friction coefficient and wear rate of TaVCN films first decrease and then increase with increasing vanadium content and the lowest value of friction coefficient is 0.213 with 32.60% V, wear rate is 2.1×10-7mm2/N with 26.85% V at room temperature. At high temperature, the friction coefficient decreases gradually, while the wear rate increases gradually with increasing temperature. Besides the above, the tribological property of TaVCN and TaCN films at different temperature were also discussed in this work. ©, 2015, Central South University. All right reserved.