What is DLC coating?

What is a DLC coating and what are its properties?

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DLC stands for Diamond-Like Carbon, which is in German “diamond-like carbon” means. DLC coating is a surface coating that applies a thin layer of amorphous carbon to a substrate.

DLC coatings have a range of properties that make them attractive for various applications. This includes:

Hardness: DLC coatings are extremely hard (up to 3,500 HV) and offer high resistance to abrasion, wear and scratches. They are generally harder than traditional metallic coatings.

Lubricity: Due to the low coefficient of friction (0.08 - 0.2), DLC coatings can be used as lubricants and reduce wear on moving parts. In the case of cutting tools, it results in better chip removal and thus reduces the risk of a buildup blade.

Corrosion resistance: DLC coatings offer good resistance to corrosion and can protect the underlying material from harmful environmental effects.

Good adhesion: DLC coatings generally have good adhesion to various substrates such as metals, ceramics, and plastics.

Good thermal stability: DLC coatings retain their properties even at high application temperatures (<400 °C). This makes it suitable for applications where high temperatures occur.

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Due to their excellent properties, DLC coatings are used in various areas, such as cutting tools.

The DLC coating is used on tools (drills, cutters, saw blades) used for processing non-ferrous metals are intended, e.g. aluminum.
This increases the life of the tools, prevents a buildup edge (material adhesion to the cutting edge) and makes it possible to dry process the aluminum during light to medium processing.

Other areas of application of DLC coating include: in the automotive industry for motor components, in medical technology for surgical instruments, in electronics for switch contacts and in the watch industry for scratch-resistant watch glasses.

It is important to note that DLC coatings are not made of actual diamonds, but only have diamond-like properties.

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