Sliding indentation: failure modes with study of velocity and loading rate

Abstract

Scratch tests were done at micro and nano scale to study the adhesive strength of the SiCN coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering. SiCN are nanocomposites having different hard phases making them useful as protective coatings. The nature of coating/substrate system got reflected in the failure modes in the scratch track. Nano scratch consisted of a three stage process viz. pre scan, scan and post scan for the elastic recover. Effect of scratch velocity and load were studied. The results give an insight into the behavior of the coating subject to different mechanical conditions and hence its suitability for a particular use.