Is a 3 micron thick PVD coating wear resistant?

Is the PVD coating wear-resistant? #

PVD tool coating must be wear-resistant, usually the surface hardness is between 2000HV-3500HV; ta-C and other super-hard diamond-like coatings, between 4000-7000HV. Although between 0.5-8μm, the PVD coating has excellent surface wear resistance due to several times the hardness of tungsten steel. At the same time, the high bonding force of PVD coating HF1-HF2 grade, the coating is not easy to come off in the actual processing, and also demonstrates the wear-resistant effect.

In addition, self-lubricating coatings such as DLC have a low coefficient of friction of 0.1 under lubricant-free conditions, and the surface roughness of the coatings is usually less than 0.03. The low coefficient of friction of DLC, especially for micromotor friction, also dramatically improves the wear-resistant effect.

HSS substrate test block, in a 1-minute D240 nylon wheel friction test, the titanium nitride 2200HV (electron gun process) on the left shows significant wear, but the coating is still there. The right side Chromium Aluminum Silicon 3500HV (Ion Multi-Arc) was essentially undamaged, showing excellent wear resistance. The test was terminated because of hand held testing, after a minute of wheel sanding, with gloves but due to high temperatures. Titanium Nitride should leak the priming layer in about 2 minutes, while Chrome Aluminum Silicon may take a little longer.

Are all PVD coatings wear resistant? #

Not necessarily, PVD coatings are divided into decorative and tooling coatings. As the name suggests, decorative plating and a layer of metallic decorative color, the coating is usually less than 1 micron, and close to room temperature deposition of thin films, low vacuum during deposition, so decorative plating of PVD film structure is loose and thin, and is not wear-resistant. However, compared with tool plating, decorative plating has brilliant color choices, which can meet the daily requirements of household hardware and decorative products.

Naxi has DLC hard decorative plating, which is commonly used in smart wear. On the basis of ensuring wear resistance, it meets the appearance requirements of the workpiece. In addition, Nasi's more unique PVD customized functional plating, based on the physical properties of the elements of the periodic table, can achieve insulation, light-absorbing, high-reflective, hydrophobic, anti-adhesive and other functional effects. Some of the functional films are also not wear-resistant

Is PVD necessarily more wear-resistant than electroplating, anodizing, etc.? #

Not necessarily, although the surface hardness of PVD tool coating is extremely high, but the film layer is too thin and internal stress, in the absence of precision requirements of simple abrasive wear conditions, not necessarily wear-resistant than other surface treatment processes. In short, PVD is only a wear-resistant coating, has its own advantages and disadvantages. Ultra-thin, ultra-hard, good film thickness uniformity, outer wall (non-inner hole) and high value-added metal workpiece, suitable for PVD coating.