Tribocorrosion of hard coatings and thin films

Hard coatings and thin films are widely spread as a surface engineering technique for improving the wear resistance of tools and components. The wide applicability range of these coatings requires them often to operate in corrosive environments, such as in marine, biomedical, or oil and gas applications. As a consequence, the simultaneous action of mechanical wear with corrosion can significantly accelerate the surface degradation of the coatings, ultimately leading to failure. The aim of this chapter is to critically review the tribocorrosion performance of hard coatings and thin films. Despite the diversity of coating compositions, electrolytes, and test conditions, the work performed in the past 20 years allows us to find trends and give some initial design guidelines to end users.