Microstructure, oxidation resistance and tribological properties of arc ion plated AlTiCN and AlTiCrN coatings at high temperature

AlTiCN and AlTiCrN coatings were deposited on Ti 6 Al 4 V alloy (TA) using an arc ion plating, and their friction behaviour at high temperature was evaluated using a wear tester, which was used to investigate the oxidation resistance and tribological performance. The results indicate that the AlTiCN coating exhibits lower roughness and higher nanohardness compared with the AlTiCrN coating. The AlTiCN coating has better oxidation resistance compared with the AlTiCrN coating, which is attributed to the amorphous C in the coating. The average coefficients of friction of AlTiCN and AlTiCrN coatings are 0.287 ± 0.02 and 0.379 ± 0.03, respectively, and the corresponding wear rates are 1.75 ± 0.2 and 7.17 ± 0.7 μm 3 ·N −1 ·mm −1 , respectively, demonstrating the superior tribological performance. The dominant wear mechanism is abrasive wear, accompanied by oxidative and fatigue wear, where the high hardness of nitrides and oxides plays a crucial role in resisting wear loss.