The Tribological Properties of Micro-textured AlCrN Coated Cemented Carbide

Abstract

This paper presents the results of tests undertaken to examine the surface friction characteristics of cemented carbide when enhanced with a textured coating. A platform was built to analyze the sensitivity of different micro-texture and coating parameters on the friction and wear behavior of AlCrN coated cemented carbide, with the goal of revealing the friction and wear mechanisms associated with such surfaces. The results show that the selection of appropriate parameters can suppress vibration and reduce friction, with the time until failure of micro-textured AlCrN coated cemented carbide surfaces being 20–25 min. The main factors affecting the vibration and friction are the coating thickness, the interaction between various micro-texture preparation parameters, and the micro-pit diameter. When the coating is treated by a laser, the thinner the coating, the greater the surface hardness and the smaller the changes in the film/substrate bonding force. Changes in laser power, scanning speed and scanning times all affect the energy received per unit area of the material’s surface, affecting the target diameter and micro-texture quality. The kind of surface wear experienced by micro-textured AlCrN coated cemented carbide is mainly adhesive wear, accompanied by oxidative wear. Taking vibration, friction force and degree of wear degree as evaluation criteria, the optimal parameters are: a coating thickness of 1.2 μm; a laser power of 45W; a scanning speed of 1500–1700 mm s−1; 7–8 scans; a micro-pit diameter of 40–60 μm; and a distance of 150 μm between the micro-pits.