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Title: Effect of film adhesion on tribological properties of silver-coated alumina

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7010585

Soft metal films are seen as possible solid lubricants for sliding ceramics in high-temperature environments. Ion bombardment of substrate and film can improve film adhesion and tribological properties of metal films deposited on ceramics. To provide a more detailed understanding of the relationship between measured adhesion strength, surface roughness, and wear performance of coatings, thin Ag films were vapor-deposited on smooth and roughened alumina substrates using 1-keV ion bombardment before and during deposition. A pull-type tester was used to measure the adhesion of films to the substrate. A ball-on-flat test machine was used to evaluate the wear of an uncoated alumina ball sliding on silver-coated substrates. Measurements of film adhesion and sliding wear, and an SEM examination of wear tracks, are reported. Ball wear on roughened surfaces was reduced by a factor of {approximately}3 for poorly adhering coatings, but by a factor of {approximately}130 for well-adhering coatings deposited after argon/oxygen sputter-cleaning, compared to bare al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. For films with the lowest wear, the Ag coating wore off the tips of the asperities, but the film remained almost completely intact. For smooth flats, wear reductions by a factor of {approximately}3 were obtained for well-adherent coatings. 17 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/CE
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
7010585
Report Number(s):
CONF-900419-5; ON: DE90010090
Resource Relation:
Conference: 8. international triennial conference on thin films and the 17th international conference on metallurgical coatings, San Diego, CA (USA), 1-6 Apr 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English