EFFECT OF FILM THICKNESS ON WEAR OF HARD ELECTRODEPOSITS

Various thicknesses of chromium, cobalt, rhenium and rhodium were electroplated onto nickel and copper substrates, and the wear of the films was measured when sliding against a chromium steel. For all the materials, when a thin film was used the wear rate decreased as the thickness increased; while above a critical film thickness, the wear was independent of film thickness. The less brittle films had a larger critical film thickness. Rhodium when thin and rhenium when thick gave the lowest wear rates. © 1969.