Vanadium containing self-adaptive low-friction hard coatings for high-temperature applications: A review

The current review aims to provide an overview on the research performed with vanadium containing nitride hard coatings. Such coatings were synthesised with the objective of reducing the friction at high temperature via self-adaptation of the coating while still providing a high level of wear resistance. The lubricating effect is based on the formation of vanadium oxides with weakly bonded lattice planes and low melting temperature. The review focuses on aspects regarding the synthesis, structure and properties of these coatings and also includes a discussion on possible future developments and further improvements of the coating design.