The effect of acetylene flow rate on the uniform deposition of thick DLC coatings on the inner surface of pipes with different draw ratios

Abstract

Thick multilayered DLC coatings were deposited on the inner surface of pipes with different draw ratios by hollow cathode plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP). By tuning the acetylene (C2H2) flow rate, the change of plasma density caused by different draw ratios can be compensated to fulfill the uniform deposition of thick DLC coatings along the pipes. The influence of C2H2 flow rate on the mechanical and tribological properties of the DLC coatings were investigated. With the increase of draw ratio, the deposition temperature and gas pressure declined, and the plasma density became more asymmetrical in the axial direction. Increasing the flow rate can timely replenish the plasma inside the pipe and resolve the mass depletion problem, resulting in better thickness and structure uniformity of the DLC coatings. The greatest deposition rate of 28.6 μm/h was obtained at the 250 sccm C2H2 flow with a draw ratio of 5:1. The results of Raman spectrum and XPS indicated that the content of sp2-carbon bonds decreased with the increasing draw ratio for lower impact energies of ions. The higher sp3 carbon bonds content contributed to the formation of carbonaceous transfer layers, which resulted in the lower friction coefficient and wear rate.