Evaluation of titanium nitride coatings in bandsaw blades for wood splitting by cold plasma

Due to the advances in surface treatments, it is possible to obtain excellent cutting tools. However, the field for wood cutting tools still needs to be further investigated. In this work, titanium nitride was deposited on bandsaw blades by the cold plasma technique to increase the lifespan of the wood cutting tool, improving the coated surface. Tests were performed by varying the conditions in the amount of nitrogen and time. In addition, the industrial physical vapor deposition technique was also performed as a comparison. The morphology, structural changes and chemical mapping of the coated samples were investigated with a focus on their mechanical properties by nanoindentation and tribology tests. The surfaces were coated uniformly, with a well-adhered TiNx layer identified by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy technique, it was possible to identify the presence of nitrogen in all deposited films. Although no significant differences were observed in hardness values for cold-plasma treated surfaces compared to the uncoated, their friction coefficients and wear values were lower. Physical vapor deposition coated samples had the lowest friction coefficient and wear values. In field trials, the coated cold plasma bandsaw blades had the lowest deviation when cutting the wood and show that this technique can be used for this purpose.