Diamond Coating on Steel Substrate
Well-adhered diamond films deposited on steel surfaces can lead to major improvements in the life and performance of steel tools, resulting in a cost-effective substitute for hard alloys and other expensive tool materials. Despite the great industrial potential, the development of diamond-coated steel tools has been limited due to difficulties in achieving satisfactory diamond film adhesion to steel resulting from several limiting factors.
This technology overcomes the challenges in the production of diamond-coated steel tools through the use of a tungsten-carbon-cobalt (W-C-Co) intermediate layer prior to diamond film deposition. This intermediate layer eliminates the negative effects of iron-on-diamond deposition, increases the hardness and wear resistance of steel, and releases the stress caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of the steel substrate and diamond film.