Cathodic Arc Deposition Method Research Articles

Cathodic arc deposited tetrahedral amorphous carbon as thin film contact pressure sensing material

Tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) film was deposited using the filtered pulsed cathodic arc deposition method. The ta-C structures deposited on high velocity oxygen fuel thermally sprayed steel beam substrates were investigated for piezoresistive properties under direct contact pressing. A load of up to 1.4 GPa was applied with point contact, with no detrimental influence on the material. The linear response for the strain applied homogeneously on the whole film surface and on the local portion of the film surface under a cylindrical contact was observed. A high gauge factor of the measured system of 305 was measured, showing the potential of the material as a good candidate for sensing applications on direct contact measurement devices.

Micro structure and wear analysis of multi-layer nitride coating deposited on the austenitic steel

Utilizing the appropriate technology, the surface property must be improved to offset wear loss caused by friction. Hard ceramic coating compounds include titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN). The cathodic arc deposition method's effects on the stainless steel (SS304) mechanical and wear properties (CAD) Measurements and comparisons are made for the coated samples of the wear rate microstructural study. In the ball-on-disc wear test, the tribological parameters are altered. Compared to different kinds of coatings, The TiN coating offers remarkable mechanical and tribological qualities on the SS316L surface. the microstructure of the wear areas of materials coated with titanium nitrate and aluminium titanium nitride under various loads. Compared to non-coated material, the titanium nitride and aluminium titanium nitride coated materials have high wear resistance.

Comparison of Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TiN and ZrN Coatings Deposited by Arc-PVD

The continuous development of thin coatings for different applications and using various coating meth-ods require the characterization of these newly formed surfaces to evaluate their utility properties. Binary thin coatings of titanium (TiN) and zirconium (ZrN) nitrides were prepared using the Arc-PVD (Ca-thodic Arc Deposition) method. Differences were observed in the structure and morphology of the thin coatings and the change in tribological properties at room and elevated temperatures (150 °C and 300 °C). The research is focused on evaluating the frictional properties of the coating using the Ball-on-Disc method in the dry friction mode. The emphasis is placed on the resistance of the thin coating to wear. The nanohardness was measured to be 26.2 GPa for TiN and 24.8 GPa for ZrN. Index of resistivity against plastic deformation H³/E² (plastic deformation resistance) for ZrN coating – 0.087 and TiN coating – 0.095, H/E (plasticity index) for ZrN – 0.059 and TiN – 0.060. Better friction properties and wear resistance (at 150 °C) were found for the TiN coating compared to the ZrN coating.

Đánh giá khả năng chống ăn mòn của màng (Ti, Cr)N được chế tạo bằng phương pháp hồ quang cathod (arc-PVD) trên nền thép SS304

The monolayer (TiN/Ti), multilayer single-component (Ti/TiN; Ti/CrN) and multilayer multicomponent (Ti/TiN/CrN; Ti/CrN/TiN) films were deposited on SS304 steel by cathodic arc deposition method with an average thickness of 2300 nm. Research results showed that many macro particles (peaks) and holes (valleys) appeared and evenly distributed on the surface, the monolayer film had better quality (Ra = 0,08-0,1 µm) than the multilayer film (Ra = 0,1÷0,2 µm), but the adhesion to the substrate was poor. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy recorded the preferred orientation (111) with monolayer films and switched to (200) with multilayer films. The corrosion potential and current of the fabricated films were both reduced compared to the SS304, but in the multilayer films, the expansion of the passive regions was recorded: -0,2÷0,6 V (Ti/TiN/CrN Ti/CrN/TiN) and -0,2÷0,2 V (TiN/Ti, CrN/Ti).

The influence of substrate bias on the surface morphology, microstructure and mechanical behaviour of TiNiN coatings

The application of a negative substrate bias during physical vapor deposition can have important effects on the surface morphology, structure and properties of ceramic-based coatings. In this study, a number of TiNiN coatings were prepared onto AISI M2 steel substrates via cathodic arc deposition method by employing a range of different negative substrate bias voltages. The objective of this work is to study the influence of bias voltage on the surface morphology, microstructure and mechanical characteristics of these thin films. A change from a fine columnar grained structure to highly refined equiaxed grains was noted with increasing bias from 0 to −50 V, associated with the energetic ion bombardment at the higher substrate bias. A very high hardness value of ∼ 34.2 GPa was attained at a −100 V substrate bias, which was attributed to the synergistic effects of a number of factors such as the presence of compressive residual stresses, solid solution hardening effects along with grain refinement. In addition, significant reduction in the density of microparticle-related defects generated in these coatings was achieved at ≥ -100 V, which can presumably be ascribed to the higher repulsive force induced at higher substrate bias values.

Study of high temperature oxidation of zirconium fuel element claddings with chromiferous coatings

This paper presents the results of the study of resistance to corrosion of zirconium fuel element cladding fragments protected with nichrome and chrome coatings. Experiments were conducted on coatings deposition on fuel element claddings by cathodic arc deposition and electrochemical deposition methods. Argon ion beam pretreatment of the cladding surface is shown to have a beneficial effect on coating adhesion. Studies of resilience of the coatings were conducted in the atmosphere of super-heated steam at 900 °C and with an exposure of up to 10000 seconds. It has been shown that the coatings deposited impede formation of ZrO2 oxide layer at the outer surface and reduce the depth of oxygen penetration into the metallic sublayer as compared with the samples in their original condition.

Experimental Investigation on the Frictional Wear Behaviour of TiAlN Coated Brake Pads

The brake pad is one of the imperative portions of the braking system of any automobile; which is mounted on a brake-disc rotor on each wheel; the brake pads were made by different types of materials. In recent research focuses on using Titanium (Ti) alloy-based brake pads for sophisticated cars (lightweight automobiles) and sports cars because of its high fracture toughness at low density. The most commonly preferred grade of Ti alloy is Grade 2 with 99.5% pure, but in the recent research, it was found that the Ti alloy grade 5 has good thermal stability; so, it can withstand a high tribo-thermal zone like the braking system. This study aims to investigate the frictional wear behaviour of the Ti alloy grade 5 and its performance and it is improved furtherly coating with Titanium Aluminium Nitride (TiAlN). The TiAlN is coated over the Ti alloy using Cathodic Arc Deposition (CAD) method; its surface properties such as surface hardness, surface morphology, surface roughness, and coating thickness are characterized. The wear test is conducted to the TiAlN coated Ti discs as per ASTM G99 (American Society for Testing and Materials) in against OHNS balls (Oil Hardened Nickel Steel). The Coefficient of Friction (COF) of the TiAlN coated Ti alloy has been reduced twice the time when compared with the uncoated Ti alloy. The surface morphology of the worn surfaces studied after the wear test to study the causes of the phenomenon. It reveals that the enhanced surface properties and better resistance to micro thermal effects are reasons for the improved wear resistance of the TiAlN coated Ti alloy.

Corrosion and wear behavior of TiN PVD coated 304 stainless-steel

Ti/TiN multilayered physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings were deposited on stainless-steel by cathodic arc deposition method. Bare sample of stainless steel 304 was compared with monolithic TiN coating and TiN coating having 2, 4, 6 and 8 Ti interlayers. The properties like corrosion and wear resistance were studied and analyzed comparatively. Potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that highest corrosion resistance was indicated by TiN coating with 8 Ti interlayers. Sample having 8 Ti interlayers have high corrosion potential (Ecorr) and low corrosion current density (Icorr) as compared to other samples. This may be attributed to the arrangement of interlayers that prevents the corrosive agents to penetrate surface. All multi-layered coatings show better results than the substrate material. Pin on disk wear test revealed that coating having monolithic TiN layer have the lowest coefficient of friction and consequently have less wear volume and wear rate as compared to other coatings with Ti interlayers. These results made the investigated coated stainless steel 304 valuable for wide range of industrial applications that required wear and corrosion resistance.

Improvement of CoCr Alloy Characteristics by Ti-Based Carbonitride Coatings Used in Orthopedic Applications

The response of the human body to implanted biomaterials involves several complex reactions. The potential success of implantation depends on the knowledge of the interaction between the biomaterials and the corrosive environment prior to the implantation. Thus, in the present study, the in vitro corrosion behavior of biocompatible carbonitride-based coatings are discussed, based on microstructure, mechanical properties, roughness and morphology. TiCN and TiSiCN coatings were prepared by the cathodic arc deposition method and were analyzed as a possible solution for load bearing implants. It was found that both coatings have an almost stoichiometric structure, being solid solutions, which consist of a mixture of TiC and TiN, with a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. The crystallite size decreased with the addition of Si into the TiCN matrix: the crystallite size of TiCN was 16.4 nm, while TiSiCN was 14.6 nm. The addition of Si into TiCN resulted in smaller Ra roughness values, indicating a beneficial effect of Si. All investigated surfaces have positive skewness, being adequate for the load bearing implants, which work in a corrosive environment. The hardness of the TiCN coating was 36.6 ± 2.9 GPa and was significantly increased to 47.4 ± 1 GPa when small amounts of Si were added into the TiCN layer structure. A sharp increase in resistance to plastic deformation (H3/E2 ratio) from 0.63 to 1.1 was found after the addition of Si into the TiCN matrix. The most electropositive value of corrosion potential was found for the TiSiCN coating (−14 mV), as well as the smallest value of corrosion current density (49.6 nA cm2), indicating good corrosion resistance in 90% DMEM + 10% FBS, at 37 ± 0.5 °C.

Investigation of TiN coating uniformity and its corrosion behaviour using image process

Titanium Nitride (TiN) coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrate using Cathodic Arc Deposition method. Coating uniformity and growth defects were analysed by the proposed image processing technique along with conventional XRD, SEM and surface roughness measurement. Corrosion experiments confirmed that coating exposed with coarse texture and more defect density shown with more corrosion rate. Regression model was developed to determine the significance of image features against corrosion nature of coating. The image features contrast, entropy and standard deviation are used to identify the uniformity of coating. Porosity of coating obtained from corrosion experiment highly correlated with the defect density estimated by image process.

Influence of Bias Voltage and CH4/N2 Gas Ratio on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of TiCN Coatings Deposited by Cathodic Arc Deposition Method

This article presents a study of the influence of the bias voltage and CH4/N2 gas ratio on the structure and mechanical properties of TiCN coatings. The coatings are deposited by cathodic arc deposition technology from Ti cathodes under an atmosphere of a mixture of CH4 and N2 gasses. XRD analysis shows that an increase in the methane flow changes the preferential orientation of the coating from (111) to (200) and results in a refinement of the structure (grain size reduction from 23 to 7 nm). SEM analysis shows that the coatings are stoichiometric. It was demonstrated that the bias voltage has an influence on the grain size, hardness and elasticity module. The highest hardness value of 52.5 GPa was measured at the coatings lacking a clear preferential orientation. The adhesion of the coatings showed a critical load in the range of 29-64 N.

Depth profiling of tungsten coating layer on CuCrZr alloy using LIBS approach

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was employed to find the depth profile of W‐coated CuCrZr alloy. Cathodic arc deposition method was applied to produce tungsten coating on the CuCrZr alloy. The LIBS measurements were carried out by using a Nd:YAG laser at its fundamental wavelength (1064 nm) with various fluences. The spectral intensity emitted from laser induced plasma of the coating material was investigated for both elemental and depth‐profile analyses in terms of linear correlation coefficient. Other surface characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray) were also used to determine morphology and elemental composition. It is observed that nonuniform radial energy distribution of Gaussian laser beam caused gradual decay of spectral lines of the coating and rise of substrate lines. The results indicate that the spectral intensity from W coating was higher than that from the bulk material at same laser fluence. The high‐resolution in‐depth profile was achieved at low fluence. This study demonstrates that LIBS is a promising technique for the depth‐profiling analysis of W coating of EAST‐like material and can be used to determine the material erosion and impurity deposition on plasma facing components.

Ion induced stress relaxation in dense sputter-deposited DLC thin films

Deposition of high-density and low-stress hydrogen-free diamond like carbon (DLC) thin films is demonstrated using a pulsed ionized sputtering process. This process is based on high power impulse magnetron sputtering, and high C ionization is achieved using Ne as the sputtering gas. The intrinsic compressive stress and its evolution with respect to ion energy and ion flux are explained in terms of the compressive stress based subplantation model for DLC growth by Davis. The highest mass density was ∼2.7 g/cm3, and the compressive stresses did not exceed ∼2.5 GPa. The resulting film stresses are substantially lower than those achieved for the films exhibiting similar mass densities grown by filtered cathodic vacuum arc and pulsed laser deposition methods. This unique combination of high mass density and low compressive stress is attributed to the ion induced stress relaxation during the pulse-off time which corresponds to the post thermal spike relaxation timescales. We therefore propose that the temporal ion flux variations determine the magnitude of the compressive stress observed in our films.

Influence of surface preparation on the tool life of cathodic arc PVD coated twist drills

Cutting tool micro-geometry and surface integrity have been critical aspects to be considered for successful application of PVD thin films for cutting tool life enhancement. The present study examines in detail the role of pre-coating surface preparation (micro-blasting and drag finishing) on the tool life of coated cutting tools. TiN coating was deposited on different kinds of pre-treated (Micro blasting, Edge rounding and a combination of both) HSS and WC drills using cylindrical cathodic arc deposition method. They were subsequently characterized for surface roughness (Ra), adhesion strength and machining performance on EN 24 material. Pre-coating surface roughness (developed due to pretreatment) has a major influence on the adhesion strength of the coating. A lower pre-coating surface roughness with optimized edge rounding led to higher adhesion and edge strength which in turn resulted in a notable increase in tool life. Further underlining the importance of the present study, commercial TiN coatings deposited on HSS substrates were tested. The tool life obtained in the current study prolonged the tool life by a factor of 3 in comparison to the commercially available tools in the present day market.

Study of surface morphology, structure, mechanical and tribological properties of an AlSiN coating obtained by the cathodic arc deposition method

AlSiN coatings were prepared by the cathodic arc deposition method at a temperature of 400 °C and pressure of 2.6 Pa. The chemical composition, determined by SEM/EDS analysis, shows that the AlSiN coating presented here has a stoichiometry structure (Al40Si9N51). XPS and XRD analyses indicated AlN in both cubic and hexagonal modifications in the coating, and that the coating has a not fully completed nanocomposite structure. Nanoindentation measurements indicate nanohardness and elastic modulus of 39 GPa and 389 GPa, respectively. The coating has a very good adhesion strength with an average critical load of 28.3N (first cohesive failure) and 62.3N (first adhesion failure). The estimated wear rate and coefficient of friction of the coating are 27.2 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1 and 0.7, respectively (using the friction pair AlSiN/Al2O3).

Friction Durability of Extremely Thin Diamond-Like Carbon Films at High Temperature.

To clarify the friction durability, both during and after the high-temperature heating of nanometer-thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, deposited using filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) and plasma chemical vapor deposition (P-CVD) methods, the dependence of the friction coefficient on the load and sliding cycles of the DLC films, were evaluated. Cluster-I consisted of a low friction area in which the DLC film was effective, while cluster-II consisted of a high friction area in which the lubricating effect of the DLC film was lost. The friction durability of the films was evaluated by statistical cluster analysis. Extremely thin FCVA-DLC films exhibited an excellent wear resistance at room temperature, but their friction durability was decreased at high temperatures. In contrast, the durability of the P-CVD-DLC films was increased at high temperatures when compared with that observed at room temperature. This inverse dependence on temperature corresponded to the nano-friction results obtained by atomic force microscopy. The decrease in the friction durability of the FCVA-DLC films at high temperatures, was caused by a complex effect of temperature and friction. The tribochemical reaction produced by the P-CVD-DLC films reduced their friction coefficient, increasing their durability at high temperatures.

Influence of microstructures on mechanical properties and tribology behaviors of TiN/TiXAl1 − XN multilayer coatings

There are demands to form nanolayered coating consisting of different materials in order to enhance the coating mechanical properties. However, poor structure control may lead to the formation of second phase and various defects. In this work, we endeavored to use cathodic arc deposition (CAD) method to fabricate TiN/TiXAl1−XN nanolayered coatings with periods (Λ) ranging from 8 to 45nm, which has great influences on coating microstructures and properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy, nanoindentation and tribometry were employed to correlate coating microstructure and Λ with mechanical properties and wear resistance. The nanolayered coatings consisted of columnar grains with [111] texture, where individual grains contained low-angle grain boundaries without voids and amorphous phases. As Λ decreased, superlattices were generated, and reducing Λ from 45nm to 13nm yielded coatings with superior mechanical properties. The hardness peaked at 38.9±3.6GPa with a Young's modulus at 502.5±40.4GPa at 13nm, however, when the Λ decreased to 8nm the hardness and the Young's modulus deteriorated. It was concluded that wear resistance improved as the Λ decreased due to the greater interface population that impedes crack propagation.

Surface characteristics and wear depth profile of the TiN, TiAlN and AlCrN coated stainless steel in dry sliding wear condition

Titanium nitride (TiN), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) are hard ceramic coating material. It is coated over stainless steel (SS304) and sliding against Ti–6Al–4V alloy by using cathodic arc deposition (CAD) method, the mechanical and wear properties are improved significantly. The surface hardness, roughness and wear rate for the three coated samples are studied and compared. The wear test is carried out by using the ball-on-disc with changing the tribological parameters of the applied load (3–6N), sliding velocity (0.32–0.75m/s) and sliding distance (580–1500m). It is concluded that the TiN coating on the SS304 surface offers good mechanical and tribological properties when compared to the other coatings. 3D surface profile graphs are used effectively to study the wear depth and wear surface behavior of the coated sample.

Dependence of the friction durability of extremely thin diamond-like carbon films on film thickness

Tribological durability properties of extremely thin diamond-like carbon (DLC) films (thickness 0.03–5nm) deposited using filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) and plasma-chemical vapor deposition (P-CVD) methods were evaluated using load-increase-and-decrease, ball-on-disk, and low-load reciprocating friction tests. Friction durability notably increased at a certain film thickness for FCVA-DLC and P-CVD-DLC films. These thicknesses were nearly equal to surface roughness and corresponded to film thickness at which the nanowear profiles changed from protuberance to grooves and at which nanoscratch resistance increased. Excellent friction durability of FCVA-DLC films (thickness≥0.4nm), evaluated by rapid increase in the friction coefficient, was observed. In contrast, the friction durability of P-CVD-DLC films gradually increased when the film thickness was 0.6nm or greater. When the thickness of the DLC films was 2.0nm or greater, the films did not exhibit a rapid increase in their friction coefficient within the total number of testing cycles. The tribological properties of extremely thin DLC films depend on film thickness; extremely thin FCVA-DLC films exhibit excellent wear resistance. The film thickness at which FCVA-DLC films endured the total number of test cycles was approximately one-fifth the corresponding thickness of CVD-DLC films, evaluated by the three different friction tests.

Effects of surface roughness of substrate on properties of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings

Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings were deposited on Cr17Ni2 steel substrates with different surface roughnesses by vacuum cathodic arc deposition method. Microstructure, micro-hardness, adhesion strength and cross-sectional morphology of the obtained multilayer coatings were investigated. The results show that the Vickers hardness of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coating, with a film thickness of 11.37 μm, is 29.36 GPa. The erosion and salt spray resistance performance of Cr17Ni2 steel substrates can be evidently improved by Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coating. The surface roughness of Cr17Ni2 steel substrates plays an important role in determining the mechanical and erosion performances of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings. Overall, a low value of the surface roughness of substrates corresponds to an improved performance of erosion and salt spray resistance of multilayer coatings. The optimized performance of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings can be achieved provided that the surface roughness of Cr17Ni2 steel substrates is lower than 0.4 μm.