Tribocorrosion properties of CrMoN/Ag coatings with various Ag contents in seawater

CrMoN/Ag coatings with various Ag contents were deposited on Ti6Al4V alloys using closed-field magnetron sputtering technique, and their mechanical and tribocorrosion properties were investigated using nanoindentation and tribocorrosion testers, respectively. Additionally, the wear tracks of the coatings were observed and analyzed using scan probe microscope (SPM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the hardness of the coating initially rises and subsequently declines with the increase of Ag content, and reaches the maximum value of 25.4 ± 1.4 GPa at an Ag content of 1.87 at.%. The CrMoN/Ag coating with Ag content of 1.87 at.% has a denser cross-section and lower surface roughness, showing relatively excellent tribocorrosion performance. In addition, CrMoN/Ag coatings with different Ag contents exhibited varying tribocorrosion mechanisms in seawater.