Corrosion-wear response of sputtered CrN and S-phase coated austenitic stainless steel

The response of 316L austenitic stainless steel when untreated or sputter coated with CrN and S-phase (nitrogen supersaturated austenitic stainless steel) has been evaluated under sliding contact corrosion-wear situations. The lowest friction coefficient was recorded for the CrN coated material which also gave the best resistance to corrosion-wear. The S-phase coating reduced corrosion-wear compared to untreated 316L, but despite exhibiting the most electrochemically passive behaviour, was inferior to CrN. The corrosion-wear of the uncoated and S-phase coated 316L was dominated by mechanical wear, which in the latter case involved brittle fracture of the S-phase coating and/or fracture along the S-phase-substrate interface. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.