RESUMEN
An NbN coating was produced on AISI 316L steel using reactive DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of oxidation of the NbN coating in air on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, contact angle and bioactivity were investigated. Phase composition was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), the coatings' cross-sectional microstructure and thickness including surface morphology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), microhardness via the Vickers method, corrosion by means of a potentiodynamic polarisation test in Ringer's solution and bioactivity by observation in an SBF solution, while the contact angle was studied using a goniometer. The NbN coating and the oxidised coating were shown to demonstrate a Ca/P ratio close to that of hydroxyapatite, as well as increased microhardness and corrosion resistance. The best combination of mechanical, corrosion, bioactivity and hydrophilic properties was demonstrated by the air oxidised NbN coating, which featured an orthorhombic Nb2O5 structure in the top, surface layer.
RESUMEN
The purpose of the paper is to present a new Recatest testing technique which uses a series of abrasions within a scratch and its innovative application to describe selected quantitative parameters of locally, plastically deformed substrate and coating materials detected on the spherical microsection in the scratch test. The exposed material structures are subject to a metallographic analysis which allows for the determination of the quantitative parameters, which in turn allow for a description of the change in dynamics of the coating structure within the scratch area as a function of load. These parameters include scratch depth (hs), coating thickness (h1), flash height (hoc, hos), depth of intended material (hd), material depth under scratch (hcp), and material depth under coating (hdb). The paper also includes a description of the Recalo test device designed by the authors, which is used to make a series of spherical abrasion traces on the scratch surface. Recalo is dedicated to the Recatest technique. The analysed material was the CrN/CrCN/HS6-5-2, AlCrN -Alcrona-Balinit/D2 coatings deposited on tool steels.