Effect of thick DLC coating on fatigue behaviour of magnesium alloy in laboratory air and demineralised water

Abstract

ABSTRACTRotating bending fatigue tests have been performed using Diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coated specimens of a wrought magnesium alloy, AZ80A, in laboratory air and demineralised water and the effect of DLC coating on fatigue and corrosion fatigue behaviour was studied. Three film thicknesses of 3.5 μm, 13 μm, and 25 μm (two‐layer film) were evaluated and particular attention was paid to the role of thick DLC coating. In laboratory air, the fatigue strengths of the DLC‐coated specimens were higher than that of the substrate specimen and increased with increasing film thickness. This was because hard DLC coating with good adhesion suppressed the crack initiation due to cracking of inclusions or cyclic slip deformation on the substrate surface. In demineralised water, the fatigue strength of the 3.5‐μm DLC‐coated specimen was the same as that of the substrate specimen due to the penetration of the water through pre‐existing film defects, while the 13‐μm and 25‐μm DLC‐coated specimens showed increased corrosion fatigue strength with increasing film thickness and also exhibited nearly the same fatigue strength as in laboratory air except for a few premature failed specimens, indicating a potential of thick DLC coating or two‐layer coating for complete improvement of corrosion fatigue strength in aqueous environments.