Improved anti-wear performance of nanostructured titanium boron nitride coatings

Titanium boron nitride coatings were synthesized by ion beam assisted sputter deposition. Structural analysis showed that the coatings had a composite structure comprising nanosized TiB2/TiN crystallites and a thin layer matrix of hexagonal BN. Although, the hardness of these Ti-B-N coatings was generally lower than that of pure TiB2, improved anti-wear performance was observed. This improvement is explained by the beneficial configuration of hard nanoparticles embedded in a soft. lubricating matrix, which increases the coating's capability to dissipate stress without brittle fracture. Effects of process parameters, such as bombarding energy and nitrogen how rate were also thoroughly studied. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.