A Tribological Study of ta-C, ta-C:N, and ta-C:B Coatings on Plastic Substrates under Dry Sliding Conditions

In this study, we analyze the extent to which thin hard coatings can serve as tribological protective layers for the selected plastic substrate materials PA12 (polyamide 12) und PEEK (polyetheretherketone), with and without fiber reinforcement. The approximately 1 µm thick coating variants ta-C, ta-C:N, and ta-C:B, which were applied using the laser arc process, are investigated. In oscillating sliding wear tests against a steel ball in an air atmosphere without lubricant, the wear of the coating and counter body is compared to analogous coating variants applied in parallel to AISI 52100 steel. The ta-C-based coatings show good adhesion strength and basic suitability as wear protection layers on the plastic substrates in the tribological tests. However, there are variations depending on the coating type and substrate material. The use of a Cr interlayer and its thickness also plays an important role. It is demonstrated that by coating under conditions where the uncoated plastic substrate would normally fail, a similarly good performance as with analogously coated steel substrates can be achieved by ta-C:N.