| The results obtained at Instituto de Ciencias e Engenharia de Materiais e Superficies-ICEMS on the development of W-S-C coatings are reviewed and compared with literature data on the same system. The coatings have been deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering using several approaches including reactive and co-sputtering processes. The chemical composition, structure and morphology of the coatings were analyzed and correlated with the mechanical properties. A complete detailed tribological characterization was performed by pin-on-disk tests varying the applied load, the humidity ratio and the temperature. The most important result achieved was the significant increase in the hardness with C addition that allows expecting a higher loading bearing capacity. From the tribological point of view, the coatings with C content close to 40 at.% showed a remarkable thermal stability up to 400 °C, with friction coefficients lower than 0.05 and 0.1 in dry and room environments, respectively. |
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