High Speed Steel Substrates Research Articles

Behavior of M2 steel with CrN/TiN thin films by cathodic arc PVD method

The objective of this project is to obtain results on the films generated on M2 highspeed steel substrates, used in cutting applications and wear resistance. These samples were coated with CrN as the base layer and TiN as the film, using the PVD cathodic arc method. The project was carried out in collaboration with SADOSA S.A. de C.V., a company specialized in industrial coatings for high-speed cutting tools.The methodology included microstructural characterization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and composition analysis (SEM-EDS), along with topographical analysis using optical profilometry. The film thickness was determined using the calotest method, and tribological analysis was conducted with the pin-on-disk technique, obtaining wear tracks, volume loss, and specific wear rate according to ASTM G99 standards. The adhesion of the films was also evaluated using VDI 3198 standards to assess the adhesion quality of the samples. Finally, the data were collected for the analysis of the obtained results.

Wear Behaviour of Nickel Coatings Reinforced by Recycled Quarry Dust: Influence of Current Density

Nickel coatings incorporated with quarry dust were synthesized through direct current electrodeposition from a nickel Watt’s bath. The study explored the effects of varying current densities on the surface morphology and wear behaviour of the nickel-quarry dust (Ni-QD) composite coatings deposited on a high-speed steel (HSS) substrate. Quarry dust was chosen as a reinforcement material due to its high silica and alumina content, which enhance the properties of the coating. To achieve finer particle size, the quarry dust was subjected to ball milling before electrodeposition. The study tested a range of current densities from 2 to 8 A/dm², as different current densities produce different results. The composite coatings were characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and their wear resistance was evaluated through pin-on-disk test. The results indicated that increasing the current density enhanced the wear resistance of the coatings. Coatings produced at high current densities displayed a colony-like structure, demonstrating the impact of deposition conditions on colony size relative to current density. Ni-QD composite coatings created at 6 and 8 A/dm² resulted in smoother and narrower wear scars with minimal scratching, attributed to the low surface roughness of the coatings.

Investigation of the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films on YG8 and High-Speed Steel Substrates with W Buffer Layers

Investigation of the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films on YG8 and High-Speed Steel Substrates with W Buffer Layers

Structure and mechanical properties of TiCN-ZrCN multilayer coatings

The present study is focused on the design, deposition and characterization of nanoscale multilayer TiCN/ZrCN coatings obtained by cathodic-arc PVD technique. The multilayer coatings with the bilayer period’s thickness of 12 nm, 20 nm and 32 nm were deposited on stainless steel and high-speed steel substrates at temperature of 320°C in a mixture of N2 and CH4 gases. Scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, was employed to investigate the top surface morphology, cross-sectional morphology, bilayer thickness and structure of the coatings. Mechanical properties were investigated via Calotester, Nanoindentation tester, Scratch tester and Tribometer. The SEM/EDS cross-sectional analysis revealed a columnar morphology and well expressed multi-layered periodic structure. All the multilayer samples demonstrated an increase in hardness and well fracture resistance ability in comparison to TiCN and ZrCN monolayer coatings. The highest nanohardness of 41GPa and better wear resistance for the coatings with bilayer period of 12 nm was determined. The results of the study show that a reduction in the thickness of the individual sub-layers has a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the coatings.

Glancing angle intermediate layer deposition approach for CVD diamond coating of high-speed steel substrates

This work demonstrates a new approach to the synthesis of highly adhesive diamond coatings on high-speed steel (HSS) substrates using a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. The parameters of deposition of a molybdenum intermediate layer with a high level of surface roughness at a minimum layer thickness are determined. A maximum roughness of 38.1 nm with a minimum Mo layer thickness of 2 μm was achieved at an incidence angle of 15° and three sample positions. The duration of Mo sputtering at each rotation was 15, 10, 30 min. It is shown that a 2 μm Mo interlayer deposited by GLAD technique increases microcrystalline diamond film adhesion to HSS substrate compared to normally deposited Mo interlayer of the same thickness. The average delimitation area of the diamond film synthesized on a normally deposited molybdenum layer exceeds the corresponding parameter for the coating synthesized on the GLAD Mo layer by more than 8 times. Additionally, the process of diamond-Mo interlayer mechanical interlocking is also considered.

Development of Multi-Component B-C-N Diffusion Coating on Wrought AISI M2 High-Speed Steel Substrate

The present investigation has been carried out to study the microstructure evolution and microhardness of the multi-component B–C–N diffusion coatings developed on wrought AISI M2 high-speed steel substrate at 560 and 650 °C for 1 and 4 h for both temperatures. The microstructure of the coatings was studied using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Vickers microhardness measurements were also performed. The investigations showed that varying conditions of the thermochemical treatment resulted in a variety of coatings which exhibited varying microstructure, phase composition and microhardness.

Coatings Prepared by Electro-Spark Alloying with SHS Electrode Materials Based on Ti-B-Fe-AlN

In this work, the features of the phase composition, structures, and properties of coatings obtained on a high-speed steel substrate (steel R6M5) were studied. The coatings were prepared using the ESA method (electro-spark alloying). Electrode materials prepared through self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) based on (Ti-B-Fe)xAlN with the addition of nanosized AlN particles in the amount of x = 0.5, 10, 15 wt % were used as electrodes. The structure, phase composition, and physical and mechanical properties of the SHS electrode materials are reported. It was found that the coatings inherited the structure of the SHS electrode material and formed two characteristic zones for x = 0 and three zones for x = 5, 10, 15. The surface hardness of the substrate made of the high-speed steel R6M5 with the developed coatings was found to increase up to five times compared to the uncoated substrate. It was found that the wear resistance of the samples with the coating was four to six times higher than that of uncoated samples.

Effects of repeated cycling cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hydrogenated diamond-like coatings

Hydrogenated diamond-like coatings with an sp3C fraction of 63% were deposited onto E35 high-speed tool steel substrates and subjected to a repeated deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) for six hours at different temperatures. The morphologies and microstructures of the specimens were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The hybridization of carbon atoms was analyzed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The mechanical characteristics of the coatings, including the adhesion critical load between the coatings and substrates, residual stress in the coatings, hardness, and friction, were characterized. Variations were observed in the height of the cauliflower-like aggregates formed in the coatings subjected to different treatments. The sp3C fraction and hardness of the coatings increased after DCT at –140 °C, and the enhancement efficiency decreased with increasing number of DCT cycles. The friction coefficients of the coatings cryogenically treated at –140 °C decreased, whereas those of the coatings cryogenically treated at –190 °C increased. The wear volumes of the DCT coatings, except the coating that was treated continuously at –190 °C for 6 h, upon dry-sliding against alumina were larger than that of the as-deposited coating.

Nanoindentation test of a DLC coated high-speed steel substrate using a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element method

Diamond-Like Carbon is a thin coating that has high hardness, chemical inertia and low coefficient of friction characteristics that can improve the performance of cutting tools and mechanical components. To identify the characteristics of this film it is important to carry out mechanical tests, such as nanoindentation, which can provide important information in understanding and improving coating techniques and, when combined with the finite element method, leads to more detailed results of material behavior during testing. Considering this, the present work aimed to study and apply a nanoindentation test simulation of a Diamond-Like Carbon coated high-speed steel specimen. The results of the indenter penetration versus load were compared with experimental data seeking correlation of the model. A great proximity was observed between the experimental results and the results obtained in the simulation. When comparing the final indentation force, a proximity of 93.9 % and 95.5 % was found for the model with only one indentation and with partial indentations, respectively, thus validating the created model. The impact of modifying the indenter tip radius for the partial indentation method was also evaluated. The tip radius variation did not have a significant impact on the results of final indentation force and material hardness. The material hardness was also obtained in the simulation, which was equal to the experimental: 9.25 GPa.

Development and analysis of solid lubricant coating on M2 high-speed steel using the EDC process

This paper reports solid lubricant coating on the M2 high-speed steel substrate with MoS2:Cu (50:50) green compact electrode by electric discharge coating (EDC) process. The influence of input parameters (peak current(I) and pulse duration(ton)) on the coating responses (thickness, microhardness, and surface roughness) have been investigated. The coated materials atomic weight percentage and chemical compounds are examined through EDS and XRD analysis. The maximum coating thickness (695.3μm) was reported at ton − 750 μs and I- 5 A. The coated samples microhardness exhibit between 217.8 HV—669.43 HV, which is lesser than the substrate (750 HV). The adhesive strength of the coating surface was examined using the scratch test with the progressive load. The result shows, adhesive strength increased at higher current level.

EBM Technique Study on Microstructural Characterization of Al-Zr-N Coating

Through the implementation of the electron beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD) technique, an aluminium zirconium nitrate (Al-Zr-N) coating has been created in the current work on high speed steel (E19) substrates. Through the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), nano indentation, and scratch tests, the structural morphological and mechanical properties of the substrate are investigated. The cause of tension relaxation and vacancy concentration is explained by the fluorite phase's lattice constant decreasing with rising deposition temperature. As the temperature of the substrate rises, the coating's increased surface roughness is explained by an increase in crystallite size [1]. TBCs are frequently applied to metal substrates using the Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) and Electron Beam Physical Vapour Deposition (EB-PVD) methods. For the next generation of turbine engines, the high costs and relatively high thermal conductivities of EB-PVD coatings, as well as the short thermal lifetime of APS coatings, are significant drawbacks. Suspension Plasma Spraying (SPS) was evaluated in this study to enhance the thermal properties of TBC. The SPS process enables the creation of columnar micro-structures that are easily adjustable in terms of thermal conductivity and columnar structure compaction.

Topography of high-speed steel substrates sputter cleaned by an Ar/Ti cathodic arc plasma

Hard coated high-speed steels are often used for tooling applications and consist of three different microstructural constituents: a martensitic matrix, M6C and MC carbides. The behavior of these three during the various tool manufacturing steps has a detrimental effect on the final tool performance. The focus of the current work is the surface topography change due to variation of the substrate bias voltage applied during the Ar/Ti arc plasma sputter cleaning process which changed the sputtering behavior of the high-speed steel's microstructural constituents and the appearance of droplets on the sputtered surface. The surface topography was characterized by laser confocal and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, microstructural analysis was carried out on cross-section lamellae prepared by a focus ion beam technique and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. At each of the three investigated substrate bias voltages (Ub) of −600, −800 and −1000 V during the Ar/Ti arc plasma sputter cleaning process, the mentioned microstructural constituents behaved differently. At an Ub threshold of −600 V, sputter erosion starts at M6C carbides in an inhomogeneous material erosion pattern. At −800 V, a homogeneous sputter behavior was established for the entire sample. M6C carbides showed the highest sputter erosion rate, on MC carbides Ti deposition occurred instead of sputter erosion, and the martensitic matrix was smoothened, as peaks and exposed features were sputtered preferentially. As of Ub = −1000 V, the sputter erosion behavior of the martensitic matrix changed and exposed features were preserved. The reason for this change was identified to be Ti+ ion implantation indicated by Monte Carlo simulations and the associated increase of the matrix' cohesive strength, calculated using Density Functional Theory. The published results in this study will help to further utilize Ar/Ti arc plasma sputter cleaning processes for intentional surface topography design.

Influence of Isothermal Annealing on Microstructure, Morphology and Oxidation Behavior of AlTiSiN/TiSiN Nanocomposite Coatings.

The present work investigates the influence of isothermal annealing on the microstructure and oxidation behavior of nanocomposite coatings. AlTiSiN/TiSiN coatings with TiSiN adhesive layer were deposited onto a high-speed steel substrate via physical vapor deposition. The coatings were investigated in the as-deposited state as well as after annealing in air at 700, 800, 900 and 1000 °C, respectively. The microstructure and morphology of the coatings were observed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical composition and presence of oxidation products were studied by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The phase identification was performed by means of X-ray diffraction. In the microstructure of the as-deposited coating, the (Ti1-xAlx)N particles were embedded in an amorphous Si3N4 matrix. TiO2 and SiO2 were found at all annealing temperatures, and Al2O3 was additionally identified at 1000 °C. It was found that, with increasing annealing temperature, the thickness of the oxide layer increased, and its morphology and chemical composition changed. At 700 and 800 °C, a Ti-Si-rich surface oxide layer was formed. At 900 and 1000 °C, an oxidized part of the coating was observed in addition to the surface oxide layer. Compared to the as-deposited sample, the oxidized samples exhibited considerably worse mechanical properties.

The influence of multilayer architecture on the structure and mechanical properties of WNx/TiSiN coatings in comparison with WNx and TiSiN single layers

The present work deals with the comparison of selected properties of WNx/TiSiN multilayer and respective WNx and TiSiN monolithic coatings that were deposited at the same parameters. The effect of the multilayer architecture on the structure and mechanical properties of WNx/TiSiN multilayer was studied in detail. The multilayers and monolayers were fabricated on high-speed steel substrates by unbalanced direct magnetron sputtering from W (purity 99.95 %) and Ti80Si20 (purity 99.50 %) targets. The chemical composition and the cross-sectional morphology of multilayer and single-layer coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with wave-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS). The structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and Young’s modulus of multilayer and coatings were investigated using the nanoindentation method. Results showed that the WNx/TiSiN multilayer, possessing cubic W and TiN phases and a dense layered microstructure, showed slightly improved hardness (28.5 ± 3.5 GPa) and HIT/EIT parameter (0.087), as compared with the WNx and TiSiN coatings. It has been shown that the design of multilayered structure of WNx/TiSiN coating is a promising way to tailor the microstructure and properties of the hard coatings.

Optimisation of Thermochemical Treatment of M2 High-Speed Steel

The present study has been undertaken to study the microstructure and microhardness of the multi-component B–C–N diffusion coatings developed on AISI M2 high-speed steel substrate at 560 and 650 oC for 1 and 4 h for each temperature respectively. The investigation of the coatings was fulfilled using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, Vickers microhardness measurements were performed. The results showed that varying conditions of the thermochemical treatment led to a variety of coatings in the sense of their microstructure and phase composition.

Influence of Heat Treatment on Microhardness and Surface Roughness of Electroless Ni-YSZ Composite Coating

The application of heat treatment was introduced in Ni-YSZ composite coating as the incorporation of ceramic YSZ in electroless nickel deposition is new and worth investigating. In this paper, the influence of heat treatment by varying the heating temperature and time on the electroless Ni-YSZ composite coating is investigated. The Ni-YSZ composite is deposited onto a high-speed steel substrate via electroless nickel co-deposition. YSZ powder of mixed sizes of micro- and nano-sized of the ratio of 1:1 is incorporated in the electroless deposits. The electroless Ni-YSZ composites coating was heated up to 400oC for a maximum of 2 hours. The microhardness measurements were carried out using a Vickers microhardness tester (Shimadzu) according to ISO 6507-4. The surface roughness of the coating was measured using Mitutoyo surface roughness tester SJ-301. The surface characterisation was analysed using Cambridge Stereoscan 90 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). The crystallographic structure of materials was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Bruker D8 Advance instrument. The microhardness and surface roughness of the coating both increase with time. The microhardness is directly proportional to the heating temperature and time and these observations are supported by the XRD analysis. The surface roughness observation is explained by the SEM micrographs.

Effect of particle size on surface roughness and morphology of heat-treated electroless Ni-YSZ coating

The paper discusses the surface characterisation of electroless nickel-yttria-stabilised zirconia (Ni-YSZ) coating with varying YSZ particle sizes and undergoes heat treatment at a temperature between 300-400°C for 1-2 hours for wear resistance purposes. This finding will be helpful to the application of Ni-YSZ as an alternative coating for cutting tools. The surface characterisation was analysed using JOEL Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) JSM 7800F. The crystallographic structure of materials was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Bruker D8 Advance instrument. The Ni-YSZ coating was deposited using electroless nickel co-deposition of 8YSZ ceramic particles with a nano, mixed and microparticle sizes onto a high-speed steel (HSS) substrate. The coatings were heat treated at temperature 300-400°C and time 1-2 hours. The surface roughness was measured using Mitutoyo surface roughness tester SJ-301. The electroless Ni-YSZ coating deposited has an average thickness of 30 µm. It is found that the coating morphology electroless coating without YSZ particle incorporation (EN) and Ni-YSZ nano (N) is smoother compared to the Ni-YSZ mixed (NM) and Ni-YSZ micro (M). The EDS composition analysis shows the YSZ content in the electroless Ni-YSZ coating for N samples is the lowest, whereas NM samples are the highest. This resulted in the surface roughness behaviour where the mixed-size YSZ particle gives the highest roughness at all temperatures. The XRD analysis shows that heating temperatures above 300°C caused the precipitation of Ni3P crystalline. Previous studies in the surface characterisation of electroless nickel composite are scarce; thus, the study has limitations in finding supporting data. The surface characterisation especially related to the surface roughness of the electroless nickel, either the Ni-P or composites or alloys are rarely reported. Thus, this study enlightened the effect of particle size on surface roughness and morphology of heat-treated coatings.

Performance Evaluation of Different Coating Materials in Delamination for Micro-Milling Applications on High-Speed Steel Substrate.

The objective of the present work is to carry out analytical and finite element analysis for commonly used coating materials for micro-milling applications on high-speed steel substrate and evaluate the effects of different parameters. Four different coating materials were selected for micro-milling applications: titanium nitride (TiN), diamond-like carbon (DLC), aluminium titanium nitride (AlTiN) and titanium silicon nitride (TiSiN). A 3D finite element model of coating and substrate assembly was developed in Abaqus to find the Hertzian normal stress when subjected to normal load of 4 N, applied with the help of a rigid ball. The radius of the rigid ball was 200 µm. For all the coating materials, the length was 3 mm, the width was 1 mm, and the thickness was 3 µm. For the high-speed steel substrate, the length was 3 mm, the width was 1 mm, and the thickness was 50 µm. Along the length and width, coating and substrate both were divided into 26 equal parts. The deformation behaviour of all the coating materials was considered as linear–elastic and that of the substrate was characterized as elastic–plastic. The maximum normal stress developed in the FEA model was 12,109 MPa. The variation of the FEA result from the analytical result (i.e., 12,435.97 MPa is 2.63%) which is acceptable. This confirms that the FEA model of coating–substrate assembly is acceptable. The results shows that the TiSiN coating shows least plastic equivalent strain in the substrate, which serves the purpose of protecting the substrate from plastic deformation and the TiSiN of 3 micron thickness is the most optimum coating thickness for micro-milling applications.

Wear Mechanism and Life Map Construction of Nitride Coatings on Different Substrates

The sliding wear and failure behaviors of CrN and AlTiN coatings on high speed steel (HSS) and cemented carbide (WC-Co) were investigated on a reciprocating test machine under different normal forces (30–120 N). The wear mechanism was explored based on the analysis of coefficient of friction (CoF), wear and damage of coating. Then, the coating service life maps were established and the factors affecting the coating life were explored. The results indicated that the bonding strength of coatings to the WC-Co substrate were larger than those to the HSS substrate. The CoFs of CrN fluctuated during the wear process, while CoFs of AlTiN coatings were closer to those of the uncoated substrates. The wear depths of coated samples were smaller than those of uncoated substrates. The wear depths were small when the coatings worked and then increased with the number of cycles and the normal forces. For the CrN coatings, they had longer service life under smaller normal forces than under the large forces. Under small forces, an adhesion layer derived from the wear debris was formed on the coating surface to reduce the wear at the beginning of the test, after that the main failure mechanism was abrasive wear and delamination. Under large forces, the main failure mechanism was spallation. For the AlTiN coatings, the main failure mechanism was spallation on the HSS substrate; however, on the WC-Co substrate it was adhesive and abrasive wear. The coatings (CrN and AlTiN) on WC-Co had longer service life under various normal forces than on the HSS. CrN coating has the better wear-resistance than AlTiN coatings.

Effect of heat treatment on microhardness of electroless Ni-YSZ cermet coating

The paper discussed the effect of heat treatment on electroless nickel-yttria-stabilised zirconia (Ni-YSZ) cermet coating. Ni-YSZ cermet coating has potential applications such as cutting tools, thermal barriers, solid oxide fuel anode, and various others. The compatibility of ceramic YSZ and metallic nickel in terms of the mechanical properties such as hardness by varying the heating temperature, time and ceramic particle size is highlighted. Ni-YSZ cermet coating was deposited onto a high-speed steel substrate using the electroless nickel co-deposition method. The temperature and time were varied in a range of 300-400°C and 1-2 hours, respectively. The microhardness measurements were carried out using a Vickers microhardness tester (Shimadzu) according to ISO 6507-4. The surface characterisation of the cermet coating was carried out using JOEL Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) JSM 7800F. The crystallographic structure of materials was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Bruker D8 Advance instrument. It was found that the microhardness of Ni-YSZ cermet coating with the ratio of 70:30, respectively, is directly proportional to the heating temperature and time. Heating the Ni-YSZ cermet coating at 300°C from room temperature (rtp) to 1 hour shows a 12% microhardness increment, while from 1 to 2 hours gives a 19% increment. Compared to heating at 350°C and 400°C, the increment is more significant at 33% and 49% for rtp to 1 hour and 8% and 16% for 1 to 2 hours, respectively. In addition, the effect of varying YSZ particle size in the Ni-YSZ cermet gave response differently for heating temperature and heating time. The paper is only limited to the discussion of the heat treatment effect on Ni-YSZ cermet coating hardness property. The tribological effect will be in future work. The microhardness data may vary due to the Vickers microhardness force applied and the amount of ceramic particle incorporation and phosphorus content in the nickel matrix. The value of this work is the compatibility of the ceramic YSZ and metallic nickel matrix in terms of mechanical properties, such as hardness, upon heat treatment.