Abstract WC/W coatings were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering using 40%, 60% and 80% methane CH 4 in the gas mixture. The bilayers were grown on to AISI 420 stainless‐steel substrates in order to study the wear and corrosion behavior. Before growing the bilayers, one Ti monolayer was grown to improve the adherence of the coatings to the substrate. The wear resistance and the friction coefficient of the coatings were determined using a pin‐on‐disk tribometer. All coatings had a friction coefficient of about 0.5. The measured weight lost of the bilayers from each probe allowed the qualitative analysis of wear behavior all coatings. The bilayers grown with 80% methane showed the best abrasive wear resistance and adhesion without failure through the coating in the wear track for dry pin‐on‐disk sliding. Electrochemical corrosion test showed that the bilayers grown with 80% methane were more resistant to corrosion than the ones uncoated. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)