Introduction

1 Introduction
Rointan F. Bunshah

Mankind has used hard surfaces on various tools since antiquity. Examples are: 1. An axe dating back to 900 B.C., possessed a Brinell Hardness value of 444 at the edge where it had been intentionally carburized. A chisel from 700 B.C., less satisfactorily carburized, had a Brinell Hardness of 300 on its edge.[1] These are precursors of modern techniques of carburizing and nitriding, which is a chemical vapor deposition process. 2. The ancient precursor to micro and nano laminate composites are the Damascus swords, and the Roman and Viking swords made during the latter centuries of the first millennium A.D. They consisted of finely spaced alternating layers of high carbon, and low carbon steel which had been forged to create intricate patterns with the layers stacks going in different directions. The result was high strength and toughness and, in the case of Damascus swords, a very pleasing sheen on the surface.[2] Traditionally, the term hard coatings refers to the property of high hardness in the mechanical sense with good tribological properties. With

Handbook of Hard Coatings

the development of modern technology in the areas of optical, optoelectronic, optical, and related defense applications, the definition of the term hard coatings can be extended. Thus, a system which operates satisfactorily, in a given environment can be said to be hard with respect to that environment.[3] Thus hard materials can be classified as: 1. Tribologically hardwear resistant, and low friction. 2. Optically hardlaser, and photonically inert. 3. Radiation hardhigh threshold energies for energetic particles such as gamma rays, neutrons, and beta particles. 4. Electrically hardhigh bandgap, and large electron velocities. Most hard coatings are ceramic compounds such as oxides, carbides, nitrides, ceramic alloys, cermets, metastable materials such as diamond, and cubic boron nitride. Their properties, and environmental resistance depend on the composition, stoichiometry, impurities, microstructure, imperfections, and in the case of coatings, the preferred orientation (texture). Diamond, diamond-like carbon (DLC), cubic boron nitride, and the new class of nano-layered composites are currently referred to as superhard materials. This volume is oriented at tribological properties. It is broken down into three main sections. 1. Deposition Technologies. The technologies covered are Vapor Deposition Techniques (PVD, and CVD), and Thermal Spray and Detonation Gun Processes. 2. Characterization, Structure and Properties. The chapters in this section are: Structure/Property Relationships for Hard Coatings, Characterization of Hard Coatings, and Macro- and Micromechanical Properties and Tribological Properties.

Introduction 3. Applications. The chapters are: Applications to Cutting Tools, Wear and Corrosion Resistant Coatings for Non-Cutting Tool Applications, and Cubic Boron Nitride and Diamond Materials and Films.

A final chapter brings together New Developments and Outlook. REFERENCES

1. Aitchison, L., A History of Metals, Interscience Publishers, 2:351 (1960) 2. Aitchison, L., A History of Metals, Interscience Publishers, 1:209 (1960) 3. Bunshah, R. F., and Deshpandey, C. V., Hard Coatings, Vacuum, 30(10):955 (1989)