Low friction coatings with improved abrasion and wear properties and methods of making

A method of making a multi-layer low friction coating comprising:

• i) providing a substrate for coating,
• ii) depositing on a surface of the substrate an under layer selected from the group consisting of CrN, TiN, TiAlN, TiAlVN, TiAlVCN, TiSiN, TiSiCN, TiAlSiN and combinations thereof, wherein the under layer ranges in thickness from 0.1 to 100 μm,
• iii) depositing on the surface of the under layer an adhesion promoting layer selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ti, Si, W, CrC, TiC, SiC, WC, and combinations thereof, wherein the adhesion promoting layer ranges in thickness from 0.1 to 50 μm and is contiguous with a surface of the under layer, and
• iv) depositing on the surface of the adhesion promoting layer a functional layer selected from the group consisting of a fullerene based composite, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), and combinations thereof, wherein the functional layer ranges from 0.1 to 50 μm and is contiguous with a surface of the adhesion promoting layer,
• wherein the coefficient of friction of the functional layer of the low friction coating as measured by the block on ring friction test is less than or equal to 0.15, and
• wherein the abrasion resistance of the low friction coating as measured by the modified ASTM G105 abrasion test yields a wear scar depth of less than or equal to 20 μm and a weight loss less than or equal to 0.03 grams.