Comparative Study of the Tribological Performance of Hardox 400 Treated by PVD and Duplex Processes

This study evaluates the tribological performance of CrN coatings deposited by PVD and a duplex treatment (carburizing followed by CrN deposition) applied to Hardox 400 steel. Single-pass and multi-pass scratch tests were conducted to assess adhesion, wear, and friction resistance. Both treatments significantly improved tribological properties, with the duplex treatment showing superior performance exhibiting stronger adhesion, a reduced wear volume (0.36 × 106 µm3), and a scratch width up to five times smaller than that of the untreated material.