Invited Paper SE+TR-WeM3
Local Characterization Tools as the Key for Optimized Performance of Hard Coatings

Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 8:40 am, Room 101C

Advanced tribological hard coatings providing multi-functional properties like wear and oxidation resistance combined with high toughness require sophisticated selection and design of materials and architectures. For a knowledge-based development of such coatings, advanced characterization techniques on the nano-scale are needed to establish the necessary link of their microstructure to their properties. Within this contribution, recent progress in coating characterization techniques is highlighted. The application of focused ion beam techniques, electron backscatter diffraction and synchrotron X-ray nanodiffraction enables previously unrevealed insights in microstructure evolution. For the determination of mechanical and tribological properties at elevated temperatures, high-temperature nanoindentation and high-temperature ball-on-disk tests in combination with in-situ measurement techniques and site-specific sample preparation for damage analysis are discussed. Utilization of micromechanical tests for coatings provides information about their fracture toughness and rupture strength. The available portfolio of characterization techniques enables the determination of a complementary microstructural and mechanical fingerprint of tribological hard coatings, which allows to understand the complex structure–property relations in these materials and subsequently to further improve their performance.