Wear of electroplated gold-based coatings

Abstract

Deformation and fracture of electroplated Au-Ni coatings subjected to tribological testing under dry conditions were studied. Wear of the coatings is shown to result from macroscopic contact interaction of the specimen with the counterbody, and from abrasive action of microasperities on the counterbody surface and wear particles. The formation mechanisms of wear particles and a transfer layer were investigated, and their contribution to wear of the electroplated Au-Ni coatings was demonstrated. The significance of shear stresses arising at the coating/sublayer interface in coating fracture was substantiated.