In this paper, the novel h-BN doped TiCrNbN thin films was deposited on the DIN 1.2714 steel using closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBMS) technique with variable working pressure, bias voltage, and LaB6 target voltage. The main goal is to determine the contribution of degrees of these parameters on structural and mechanical properties using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The deposition parameters were leveled based on L9 (33) orthogonal Taguchi design method. Microstructural and thickness of coatings were investigated using SEM. The coatings had granular and flawless surface properties. The thickness of the coatings was determined in the range of 874 nm and 1.69 μm. The deposition parameter that has the highest contribution to coating thickness is working pressure. Hardness and adhesion strength of coatings were determined employing nanohardness and scratch tester, respectively. The highest hardness among the coatings was 24.67 GPa, obtained with the 3x10-3 Torr working pressure, 100 V bias voltage and 600 V LaB6 target voltage parameters. The deposition parameter that has the highest contribution to hardness is working pressure. The coating conditions with the highest hardness exhibited the highest adhesion strength. The superiority of the contribution of working pressure on the adhesion strength was prominent compared to other parameters.

Many modification methods are applied to produce Ti-based biomedical materials. In this study, the structural, mechanical and tribological properties of unreinforced Ti13Nb13Zr alloy and Ti13Nb13Zr/HA composites with different contents of hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforcement were investigated by friction stir processing (FSP) to Ti13Nb13Zr alloy. SEM, FTIR and EDS analyzes were performed to determine the structural properties. Surface roughness values were determined using a 3D optical microscope. Surface wettability properties were investigated with a contact angle. Microhardness and wear test devices were used to determine the mechanical and tribological properties, respectively. Wear tests were carried out in a dry environment and phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS). The wear tracks were analyzed by SEM and 3D optical microscope. As a result of FTIR analysis, HA has PO43−, HPO42−, CO32− and OH− bonds. All samples exhibited hydrophilic surfaces suitable for cell adhesion. The FSP process increased the hardness and wear resistance of the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy in both atmospheres. In addition, Ti13Nb13Zr/HA composites significantly increased the hardness and wear resistance of Ti13Nb13Zr alloy and Ti13Nb13Zr alloy modified by FSP.

Lead-free SnIn solders are promising for superconducting magnet applications. However, their superconducting properties are not as good as lead solders. In order to improve the superconducting performance of the Sn–In solders, researchers have investigated the superconducting properties of ternary systems such as Sn–In–Bi for solder joints. In this study, powders of Pb, Nb, AgCu and grapheme nano pellets in the ratios of 0.5–5 wt% have been added into SnIn (35:65) to investigate their microstructural, thermal and superconducting properties. The added materials enhance the superconducting properties. We find that even low Pb additions show a dramatic improvement in superconducting properties, with an increase in both T c and J c values of up to 6.35 K and 1.47 × 10 4 A m −2 , respectively. This shows that much lower Pb content superconducting solders can be effective and could be used to replace the PbBi solder commonly used with the superconducting properties T c = 8.4 K, H C2 = 1.77 T, H C = 0.0909 T.

Bu çalışma, otomotiv endüstrisinde bilyalı mafsal rulman uygulamaları için tasarlanmış Polioksimetilen (POM) malzemelerin aşınma özelliklerini incelemektedir. İki farklı POM malzemesi; ticari olarak kullanılan homopolimer yapıdaki Delrin marka POM (Homopolimer POM) ve Kevlar elyaf takviyeli homopolimer yapıdaki Delrin marka POM (Kevlar Takviyeli POM olarak adlandırılacaktır) ele alınmıştır. Bu malzemeler laboratuvar tipi bir enjeksiyon cihazı kullanılarak şekillendirilmiş ve pim-disk aşınma test cihazı kullanılarak laboratuvar koşullarında aşınma davranışları karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz edilmiştir. Aşınma testleri, 20 N yük ve 150 rpm dönme hızında, atmosferik ortamda ve Al2O3 aşındırıcı karşı yüzey kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Numune yüzeylerindeki aşınma izleri, aşınma hacimlerini belirlemek için temasız optik profilometre ile incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, Homopolimer POM'un 0,11 sürtünme katsayısına sahip olduğunu, buna karşın Kevlar Takviyeli POM'un daha düşük bir sürtünme katsayısı olan 0,07'ye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Homopolimer POM için aşınma oranı 9.7x10-6 mm3/Nm olarak belirlenirken, Kevlar Takviyeli POM'da bu oran biraz daha düşük, 8.97x10-6 mm3/Nm olarak ölçülmüştür. Bu aşınma oranları, aşınma testlerinde kullanılan Al2O3 bilyelerin yüzeylerinin optik profilometre ile incelenmesiyle desteklenmiştir. Özellikle, Kevlar Takviyeli POM ile yapılan aşınma testinde kullanılan aşındırıcı bilyenin yüzeyinde 0,6 mm çapında bir transfer tabakası oluşurken, Homopolimer POM'u aşındıran karşı yüzeyde 0,97 mm çapında daha büyük bir transfer tabakası oluşmuştur. Aşınma izlerinin SEM görüntüleri, sıvanma ve kılcal yanal çatlaklarla birlikte delaminasyonların etkin aşınma mekanizmaları olduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak, Kevlar Takviyeli POM, bilyalı mafsal rulman uygulamalarında Homopolimer POM'a kıyasla yaklaşık %10 daha yüksek aşınma performansı sergilemekte olup, otomotiv uygulamalarında artırılmış dayanıklılık için uygun bir seçenek olduğunu vurgulamaktadır.

The present study aims to determine the effect of target voltage of boron on elevated temperature wear behaviour of newly designed (Ti, Cr, Nb)-hBN PVD coatings. For this purpose, this layer is grown on the AISI L6 (55NiCrMoV7) at various target voltages (600 V, 700 V) using a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering setup. The coating layer has a graded design and has been coated on the substrate surface in adherence with the following order: Cr - CrN - TiCrN - TiCrNbN and finally TiCrNb-hBN (constituting the working layer). The surface properties of the layer were determined using SEM and an optical profilometer. It is seen that the coatings were deposited on the surface in a granular structure pattern away from the deposition defect (such as a droplet or hole), and the roughness values increase as the target voltage increases. Phase analysis is determined using XRD, and average grain size calculations are performed using the XRD data. The coating layer has grown on the surface at TiN (112), CrN (311), NbN (111) and h-BN (001) orientations. Then, mechanical tests including microhardness and scratch tests were conducted on the specimens. Although the layer that is produced with both different parameters improves the hardness of the substrate (4.7 GPa), the hardness of the coating layer at the voltage of 700 V (24.67 GPa) is higher than that of others. Based on scratch tests, scratch crack propagation resistance (CPR) values were determined as 40 N2 and 1,650 N2 for coatings produced at 600 V and 700 V, respectively. The wear behaviours of specimens are specified using a ball-on-disc type tribometer at 450degree celsius. It is seen that the coating with high hardness and scratch resistance offers unique contributions to the wear performance of the substrate. The optimum value of the target voltage to be used in the production of this innovative coating has been introduced into the literature.

The influence of the friction stir process (FSP) on the hole expansion formability of dual-phase 600 steel was examined by experimental and finite element analyses. Due to the microstructure of refining ferrite, martensite, and bainite, the yield strength and tensile strength increased after FSP by 95% and 63%, respectively. FSP led to the formation of (101) || ND and (111) || RD texture components in the processed zone. The observation of (111) || RD texture components in the FSPed steel resulted in an increment in the plastic strain ratio from 0.86 to 0.98. FSP provided a 20% improvement in the hole expansion ratio. The microstructural refinement and crystallographic texture played an important role in this increase. The FSP contributed to the increase in the hole expansion formability capability by delaying the crack formation during hole expansion and by causing the hole to fail at a higher load. It has been observed by experimental and finite element (FE) simulation results that the highest circumferential stress occurs at the hole edge where the main crack is formed. The FE simulation predictions agree with less than 2% error with the experimental observations.

DIN 1.2714 steel is frequently used as a die material in forging applications. The dies used in the forging process are exposed to both impact and sliding effect during the manufacturing. Therefore, the wear tests of such tools will be possible with a setup that can reflect the process with quantitatively identical resemblance on a laboratory scale. Accordingly, the differences in terms of wear mechanism between the impact sliding wear test setup designed by our team and the conventional ball disc wear setup were evaluated. Moreover, DIN 1.2714 steels are coated with an innovative (TiCrNb-hBN) PVD layer using a high impulse closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering method to improve their wear performance. Structural investigations of coatings were evaluated using Scanning electron microscope. It was observed that the coatings grown on the surface in granular and columnar structure. Hardness and adhesion strength values were determined by microhardness and scratch tests, respectively. Hardness value of the steel has been increased by approximately 90% owing to TiCrNb-hBN layer. In the wear tests of the specimens under different principles, distinctly different wear mechanisms occurred. While plastic deformation, flaking and groove mechanisms were dominant in impact sliding wear, adhesive and abrasive wear showed itself in ball on disc. It has been demonstrated that the impact sliding wear assembly can better reflect the forging process.

Commercially pure (CP-Ti) and alloyed titanium such as, Ti6Al4V and Ti45Nb have versatile use from aerospace to biomedical applications due to the low density, high specific strength, and corrosion resistance features. In addition to the impressive properties of Ti alloys, the sensitivity of wear is a cause for concern. Various surface treatments are employed to overcome this problem, and one of the most important one is the oxidation treat-ment. This was study mainly aimed to investigate the effects of anodic oxidation process on the structural, hardness and wear features of the CP-Ti, Ti6Al4V and Ti45Nb materials. The wear behavior of specimens was determined at 2 different constant loads (1 N and 2 N) under ambient air and vacuum environments. It was noted that the hardness of these materials improved with the oxidation, but this increase was striking in Ti45Nb (94%). Besides, it was observed that oxidized specimens show higher wear performance than untreated ones in both wear conditions. It has been revealed that the wear in the vacuum condition is more stable than in the ambient air. Meanwhile, the rutile phases were exhibited to be more resistant to frictional and mechanical effects during wear tests.

Al7075 alloy is commonly used in the automotive industry, components of military vehicles and aircraft, rubber and plastic moulds. Also, similar Al alloys are frequently used for mechanical parts in space exploration. Therefore, investigation of the wear properties under a vacuum environment is as indispensable as wear properties under an atmosphere. However, the wear performance of this alloy cannot meet the expectations. This paper reports the investigation of the obtained wear properties of Al7075-T6 alloy after plasma nitriding in ambient air and vacuum environments. The surface characterization and phase analysis of the formed AlN layers are determined by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, 3D optical profilometer and X-ray diffractometer. The hardness of the nitride layer is established using Vickers micro-hardness tester. The wear performance of the untreated and nitride sample is investigated under 1N constant load at ambient air and vacuum environment. As a result of wear tests, the best wear performance of both conditions has been obtained from nitrided samples. The AlN layer (0.19) is observed to notably reduced the coefficient of friction of the substrate (0.60) under ambient air. Besides, it is observed that the nitride layer is better in ambient air (0.00010 mm3/Nm) than in vacuum environment (0.00087 mm3/Nm) in term of wear rate. In fact, the wear track on the nitrided sample is very thin under ambient air, and nearly imperceptible.

Recently, AZ31B magnesium alloy has been widely employed in automotive, aerospace, and bio implant industries due to its light-weight and biocompatibility properties. However, the equilibrium of ductility and strength of this material and the negativity brought by its poor wear behavior have limited its versatile use. Friction stir processing (FSP) has been commonly used as severe plastic deformation method for improving mechanical and tribological properties of metal sheets. The effect of this method on the biocompatibility of materials is a matter of curiosity that should be emphasized. So, the present study aims to investigate the effect of friction stir process on the mechanical, tribological, and biocompatibility properties of AZ31B magnesium alloy. It is observed that FSP enhanced the tensile properties of the alloy but decreased its elongation. It was determined that the base material exhibited ductile character on the fracture surface of the specimens, and mixed ductile/brittle fracture was evident with the FSP. In the FSP zone, the hardness value was improved by 17% compared to the base material. Also, the wear performance of the alloy enhanced in ambient air and Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) solution. Wear properties in SBF solution were better due to less adhesive bonds between the friction surfaces. This assessment was supported by SEM images of the wear path and surface of counter bodies. On the other hand, FSPed AZ31B alloy materials with improved strength properties were not cytotoxic for human gingival fibroblasts, and these results may suggest that the materials are safe for clinical uses.

Evolution of crystallographic texture and local strains in different zones of a dual-phase steel subjected to severe plastic deformation by friction stir process was examined by electron backscatter diffraction technique. Misorientations, which were expressed by the values of grain orientation spread and kernel average misorientation (KAM), increased from the thermomechanical affected zone (TMAZ) to pin-affected stir zone (PE-SZ). KAM maps showed that the highest local strain appeared in the PE-SZ. Misorientation distributions were found to be consistent with microhardness distributions in the processed region. The crystallographic texture of base metal, heat-affected zone, and TMAZ was similar. Recrystallization and deformation texture components were observed at stir zones, and recrystallization texture components decreased drastically at PE-SZ. Rotated cube, goss and rotated goss texture components were detected at PE-SZ. Rotated cube texture component indicates partial recrystallization after plastic deformation. Shear texture components were determined using shear direction (SD) as reference. Different shear texture components (111), (112), and (101) || SD were found in the processed region revealing the differences in material flow and plastic deformation at each zone. Some other texture components were found to be resulting from transformation of austenite into ferrite/martensite, by taking orientation relationship between those parent and product phases. Taylor factor values of all zones were calculated in order to understand the influence of texture on mechanical properties. The results indicate that crystallographic texture has a minor influence on hardness compared to grain refinement and dislocation density.

In the present study, CrN, CrAlN and CrAlTiN coatings were deposited using the cathodic arc evaporation technique. The structural investigations of these CrN based coatings were performed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometer. The hardness and adhesion strength values of coatings were determined via Vickers type microhardness tester and progressive load scratch tester, respectively. The wear performance of samples was established at ambient air and vacuum condition. All coatings grew in the “T zone” growth model and had a dense and columnar structure. The XRD patterns presented predominantly (220), (110), and (111) reflections. It was demonstrated that the quaternary coating had a higher texture parameter as 0.68, which was related to the highest thickness and hardness. Also, CrAlTiN coatings with the smallest mean crystallite size of ∼87 nm showed the best hardness, and this ensured relatively high scratch resistance. CrN and CrAlTiN coatings improved wear performance under ambient air condition but were not striking as under vacuum condition. The quaternary coating had a superior performance in the vacuum condition, but due to the high sensitivity of Ti to oxygen, it fell behind the CrN coating under ambient air condition.

It is known that the interest in manufacturing in a vacuum environment has increased in recent years. Thus, the wear behavior of mechanical tools under vacuum conditions has critical importance. However, adhesion and cold-welding problems between tool and working piece in vacuum conditions lead to poor wear properties and severe coefficient of friction values. Surface treatment methods such as physical vapor deposition coatings can eliminate these undesirable consequences, especially transition metal nitrides. In this study, TiAlN, TiSiN, and TiAlN/TiSiN films were coated on AISI H13 tool steels employing the cathodic arc evaporation technique. Whether the coatings grown to the substrate surface have a positive contribution to the wear performance of the substrate in the ambient air and vacuum environment was answered. Scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and X-ray diffractometer analyses were used to attain structural properties. The hardness was measured using a nano-hardness tester, and the adhesion properties were determined by a scratch test. The wear behavior of the substrate and coating samples are determined under 2 N constant normal load and using WC-6%Co counter bodies under ambient air and vacuum conditions. The hardness of samples improved owing to surface coatings, and the highest nano-hardness value was determined from the TiSiN coatings as 39.42 GPa, which is ∼700% greater than the substrate. It has been observed that coated samples have superior wear performance in both wear conditions. Besides, it is determined that those tested under a vacuum condition showed superior wear resistance than the samples tested under ambient air. While TiSiN film exhibits the highest wear resistance in ambient air, the TiAlN/TiSiN layer is the best in a vacuum environment. Owing to the deposited coatings, the seizure mechanism between the friction surfaces, which is frequently encountered in the vacuum environment, is prevented, and a fascinating improvement in terms of friction coefficient is achieved.

In this study, the morphological, structural, hardness and friction-wear properties of ZrN coatings produced by the cathodic arc evaporation method were investigated. 1.2379 (AISI D2), which is frequently used as a cold work tool steel in the industry, was chosen as the substarate material for coating process. The surface properties of the ZrN coating were determined using optical microscope. The phases and orientations of the coating were analyzed by X-Ray diffraction. The hardness of both the substrate and the coated material was determined using a Vickers type microhardness tester. Wear tests were carried out using Al2O3 ceramic abrader at 2500 and 5000 cycles under 2 N constant load in ball-disc type tribometer. The wear rates of materials were determined as a result of optical profilometer examinations of the wear tracks. The wear mechanisms were characterized by SEM images of the wear tracks. In the ZrN coating, it was observed that the ZrN (111) phase with a NaCl type cubic crystal lattice was dominant. It was observed that the hardness value of the ZrN coating was approximately 1882 HV0.01 and the hardness value of the substrate material was 448 HV0.01. In this case, it has been determined that the hardness value of the ZrN coated material is approximately 300% higher than the substrate material. It was observed that the wear performance of ZrN coatings was higher than the untreated material in both cycles. While the dominant wear mechanism in the untreated material was plastic deformation and adhesive wear, the flaking-induced peeling was the dominant wear mechanism in the ZrN coating.

Additive manufacturing method stands out as one of the manufacturing methods that has been used frequently in recent years. This technology is widely used in the manufacture of steel, titanium, cobalt, copper and nickel alloys, as well as Al-Si alloys. Among the AlSi alloys, the Al-Si10Mg alloy stands out with its high mechanical and corrosion resistance properties. Nowadays, AlSi10Mg alloys are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. In order to improve the usage performance of these alloys, some grain refinement methods have come to the fore. Among these methods, friction stir processing derived from friction stir welding, grain refinement and extreme plastic deformation method take attention. In this study, it is aimed to determine the effects of friction stir process (FSP) on microstructure, hardness and wear properties of AlSi10Mg alloy produced by additive manufacturing method. For this goal, FSP was performed on the surface of AlSi10Mg alloys with 1200 rpm tool rotation speed, 40 mm/min tool advance speed, 6000 N tool pressure force and 2° tool angle. Structural analysis, wear properties and hardness of the samples were determined by scanning electron microscope, optical microscope, micro-hardness tester and ball-disc type wear tester under ambient air and vacuum environment, respectively. After FSP, the stratified microstructure arising from additive manufacturing has been eliminated and a smoother structure has been obtained. While the hardness of the untreated sample was 104.5 HV0.01, this value was determined as 98.6 HV0.01 in the treated sample. Considering the effects of FSP on the wear performance of the alloy, there was an improvement of approximately 40% in the ambient air. In the vacuum environment, this value was around 10%. It was seen that the dominant wear mechanism was abrasive wear in the atmosphere environment, while mass transfer was the factor in the vacuum environment.

In this study, TiAlZrN films were coated on the hardened 1.2344 (X 40 CrMoV 5 1) steels using DC power supplied closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBMS) technique. Structural investigations of coatings were carried out using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The thickness of coatings was measured from the cross-sectional scanning electron microscope images, and the grain size value and residual stress were calculated by using X-ray diffraction data in the Scherrer formula. Nano indentation method was used to investigate the surface hardness for reducing the substrate effect due to very thin coating thickness (∼2–3 µm). Scratch test was performed for determining the adhesion strength of the coatings. As a tribo-test, a ball-on-disk system was used. From the results, it was understood why TiAlZrN coatings were attractive. The highest hardness was observed as 50.67 GPa, and the highest scratch resistance was reached to 56 N. Also, it was determined that the coating having the highest tribological properties (5.46 × 10 −5 mm 3 /Nm) increased the wear resistance of the substrate six times (3.06 × 10 −4 mm 3 /Nm).

Dövme yöntemi, tarihte bilinen en eski üretim yöntemlerinden biri olmakla birlikte günümüzde de imalat endüstrisinde sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır. 2019’da dünya geneline bakıldığında, dövme endüstrisinin gayri safi milli hasılaya etkisinin %20 olduğu görülmektedir. Dövme işleminin endüstriyel ekonomi, toplum ve ulusal güvenlik gibi kritik öneme sahip, yüksek mukavemet isteyen üretimi zorlu parçalar için kullanılan bir işlem olarak popülerliğini artıracağı öngörülmektedir. Dolayısıyla sektördeki firmaların imalat hatlarını, performanslarını ve ürün gamlarındaki kalitelerini geliştirmesi gerekmektedir. Dövme işleminde üretim performansını ve kalitesini etkileyen en önemli unsur ise dövme kalıplarında görülen hasarlardır. Literatür incelemelerinde dövme kalıplarındaki hasar sebeplerinin başında aşınmanın geldiği belirlenmiştir. Dolayısıyla kalıp malzemelerinin aşınma dayanımlarını geliştirmenin, sektör için elzem olduğu yadsınamaz bir gerçektir. Bu kapsamda geliştirilen en önemli yöntem malzeme yüzeylerinin sert bir tabaka ile kaplanması işlemidir. Özellikle Fiziksel Buhar Biriktirme (PVD) işlemi ile yüzeye kaplanan nitrür esaslı tabakaların, malzemelerin aşınma özelliklerine eşsiz katkılar sunduğu belirlenmiştir. Kaplanmış malzemenin aşınma performansı, laboratuvar ortamında üretimin çalışma prensibini yansıtacak şekilde aşınma düzenekleri kullanılarak belirlenmektedir. Ancak değerlendirmelerde, bu düzeneklerin dövme işlemini yansıtmada yetersiz kaldığı dolayısıyla bulguların, mevcut işlem koşullarında değerlendirilmesinin uygun olmadığı düşünülmektedir. Bu doğrultuda, tespit edilen bu önemli eksikliğin giderilmesi amacıyla patent başvurusu da gerçekleştirilen, aşınma test cihazı tasarlanmış ve diğer düzeneklerin eksikliklerini nasıl gidereceği konusunda detaylı analiz verilmiştir.

This study investigated the formability behavior of dual-phase (DP) steel subjected to friction stir process (FSP), using a miniaturized Erichsen test. The friction stir process yielded a refined microstructure, which consisted of lath martensite and fine ferrite, as a result of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and phase transformation. Both yield and tensile strength were significantly increased via the grain refinement and increasing martensite fraction. Biaxial formability behavior of the friction stir processed sample exhibited a decline as the Erichsen index (EI) decreased from 2.7 mm to 2.2 mm. However, the required punch load (FEI) increased compatibly with the strength value after FSP. The grain refinement caused by FSP led to an improvement in the orange peel effect, defined as a negative effect of increased surface roughness after metal forming. The value of mean roughness in the free dome surface of the FSPed sample decreased from 4.90 μm to 2.62 μm. It can be concluded that the roughening with the orange peel effect on free surfaces of stretched metal can be eliminated by the friction stir process.

The surface treatment, which includes first a thermal diffusion process, such as nitriding and then a physical vapor deposition coating process as the working layer, is called duplex treatment in the literature. In this study, the effects of the duplex treatment on the hardness, adhesion, and wear performance of TiAlZrN coatings on the hardened AISI H13 steel produced using the closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering method with variable Zr target current (2 A, 3 A, and 5 A) were investigated. Within the scope of these investigations, scanning electron microscope, x-ray diffracrometer, optical microscope, optical profilometer, energy-dispersive spectrometer, micro- and nano-hardness, scratch, and wear tests were used. In micro- and nano-hardness tests, it was determined that the hardness of the substrate increased significantly (approximately 400%) owing to the duplex treatment. In addition, with the increase in the Zr target current, it was observed that the hardness of the coatings was in an increasing trend. Adhesion strength increased with the enhancement of both the hardness of the substrate and the coatings. It was beheld that the adhesion strength of the coatings increased with the duplex treatment. Besides, the coating produced using the highest Zr target current reached maximum adhesion strength of 79 N in relation to superior hardness. Wear performance of the samples was determined using a ball-on-disk tribometer. As a result of wear tests, TiAlZrN coatings with duplex treatment were observed to notably improve the wear performance of the substrate material by 95 times. The effects of Zr target current on the wear performance of the coatings were similar to those of hardness and adhesion strength.