What are the primary characteristics of Industrial Hard Carbon thin films which could assist in my application?

Industrial Hard Carbon thin film coatings are characterized by extreme hardness, high wear resistance, high lubricity, high corrosion resistance and a number of other useful qualities. Please see the complete list of properties for more detailed information.

To what materials can Industrial Hard Carbon thin films be applied?

Industrial Hard Carbon thin films can impart their wide variety of useful characteristics to virtually any material which can withstand the maximum processing temperature of 200 °C (392 °F). Materials which are electrically insulating are subject to some size and geometric limitations.

On how large of an area or part size can an Industrial Hard Carbon thin film be applied?

Industrial Hard Carbon thin films can be applied to parts of various geometries with diameters up to 60 cm (24 in). Rods and shafts up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter and 130 cm (52 in) long have been thoroughly coated for extended lifetime. These dimensions are indicative of part dimensions which have been successfully coated. Please contact IHC for individual consultation on the feasibility of coating your large part.

What is the maximum temperature of the Industrial Hard Carbon deposition process?

The maximum process temperature is 200 °C (392 °F). The maximum temperature can be lowered depending upon the precise thin film properties which are required.

What is the typical thickness and available thickness of an Industrial Hard Carbon protective coating?

The typical thickness to reach the full complement of Industrial Hard Carbon protective coatings extreme characteristics is 2 µm (0.00008 in) with little increase in benefits beyond 6 µm (0.00024 in). Applications for which relatively lower wear protection or hardness are required (e.g. read-write heads) can be applied at substantially lower thicknesses.

What is the best surface condition for an Industrial Hard Carbon coating application?

The ideal condition to maximize the wear resistance and lubricity is a surface finish with an Ra less than or equal to 0.1 µm (0.000004 in) and a mirror-like reflectivity. Adequate levels of protection and friction reduction are often obtained with rougher surfaces.

Can Industrial Hard Carbon assist me in obtaining the right surface finish?

Industrial Hard Carbon has developed considerable super finishing expertise and in-house processing capability. IHC has confidential relationships with finishing houses for parts which are beyond our capabilities.

How smooth are Industrial Hard Carbon thin films?

Atomic force microscopy of Industrial Hard Carbon thin films deposited on ultra-flat silicon wafers has shown that the protective coatings increase the Ra by less than 0.0025 µm (0.0000001 in). A mirror-like reflectance is maintained.

What else should I consider in planning a successful application of an Industrial Hard Carbon thin film application?

The properties of all thin film protective coatings are limited to the substrate surface, i.e. they do not change the bulk properties of the substrate material. Therefore, if a point load which is capable of significantly damaging the uncoated part is applied, the part will still be damaged and the protective coating often delaminates due extraordinary strain which would be required for the coating to adapt to the increased surface area resulting from the damage. Industrial Hard Carbon can assist you in choosing the best material for your application.

What are the advantages of films applied by CVD (chemical vapor deposition)?

As opposed to physical vapor deposition methods for applying coatings, CVD is capable of evenly coating three dimensional objects without the need for rotation or multi-step processes. When a part has a uniform temperature, a CVD is capable of coating it evenly, with build-up at edges or corners being essentially immeasurable.