Structure and Properties of CrN/TiN Multilayer Coatings Produced by Cathodic Arc Plasma Deposition on Copper and Beryllium-Copper Alloy

This study investigates the structure and properties of multilayer coatings consisting of alternating CrN/TiN layers deposited on C11000 copper and aged C17200 beryllium-copper alloy. The coatings are produced by cathodic arc plasma deposition using two chromium and titanium cathodes. It is shown that coatings formed on the surface of copper and beryllium-copper alloy consist of well-separated submicron nitride layers with a total thickness of about 4 μm. The microhardness of the deposited multilayer coatings reaches 11–12 GPa. The adhesive strength is studied by scratch testing. The behavior of multilayer coatings is investigated in tribological tests with boundary lubrication. The fracture of coatings on copper and beryllium-copper alloy in scratch tests occurs at loads up to 10 and 20 N, respectively. The friction coefficients determined in tribological tests behave similarly depending on time for coatings on both copper and beryllium-copper alloy. With increasing load from 1 to 5 N, the friction coefficients decrease from 0.2 to 0.1.