Graphite particles in the diamond-like a-C films prepared with the pulsed arc-discharge method

Microparticle collection on the coating surface has been studied during the preparation of diamond-like amorphous carbon coatings with the pulsed are-discharge method. The curved solenoid method was used for the particle filtering. The quality of the coatings was studied using profilometer, ESCA and SEM techniques and wear, friction and acid resistance tests. The coatings without and with filtering contained graphite particles (40% and less than 1% respectively) and the sp(2)/sp(3)-bonding ratios were 51% and 78% respectively. The acid resistance of the nonfiltered films was poor. On the contrary, in pin-on-disc experiments with both types of coating against polyethylene, steel and Al2O3 pins, no clear differences in the friction and wear measurements were observed.