TiAlCrN Coatings Research Articles

Comparative Performance Evaluation of Magnetron Sputtered TiN, AlCrN, and TiAlCrN Coatings

This study presents a comparative performance evaluation of magnetron-sputtered TiN, AlCrN, and TiAlCrN coatings on tool steel substrates. Coatings play a pivotal role in enhancing the durability of engineering components exposed to harsh conditions. TiN is known for outstanding hardness and durability, AlCrN for superior wear resistance, and TiAlCrN for exceptional thermal stability and oxidation resistance. The substrate (EN 1.2363) underwent PVD coating using a closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputter ion plating (CFUBMSIP) process in a water-cooled stainless-steel vacuum chamber with four magnetron ports, operating for 3 hours per batch followed by 12 hours of natural convection cooling, utilizing TiN, AlCrN, and TiAlCrN films deposited for 180 minutes in an Ar and nitrogen atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed distinctive crystal structures, with all coatings exhibiting a common preferred orientation of the (111) plane and TiAlCrN showing a ternary nitride phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images displayed the compact nature of TiAlCrN with finer grains, while TiN exhibited a densely compacted with no evidence of delamination and AlCrN showed denseness with smaller grains. Nano-indentation test was conducted to assess the coatings' hardness and elastic modulus. TiAlCrN exhibited the highest hardness (3091±243 HV), highest elastic modulus (369.86±54.19 GPa), and the best wear rate (0.1887 x 10-4 mm3/Nm-1) suggesting potential suitability for applications demanding superior rigidity and wear resistance. The study provides valuable insights for materials scientists and engineers in optimizing coating selection for specific applications.

Influence of Si Addition on the Chemical and Tribological Performance of TiAlCrN Coating Deposited by Co-Sputtering

In this work, nanostructured TiAlCrN coatings were deposited on a WC-Co substrate using a co-sputtering process varying the silicon composition on the coatings. The influence of silicon content on the mechanical, chemical, and tribological performance of the coatings was studied. The hardness increases from 11 to 16 GPa with the Si content; also, Young’s modulus increases from 260 to 295 GPa. The H/E ratio, which is a measure of materials’ ability to take the strain before deformation, is also increased with the increase in Si content, suggesting increased toughness. XPS analysis reveals that the coatings present titanium, aluminum, chromium, and silicon nitrides. The tribological behavior of the coatings was conducted through ball-on-disc tests, in which the results show that the coefficients of friction range from 0.15 to 0.55, with the lowest for the samples with the highest Si content. This behavior is benefited by the formation of oxynitride species, identified by XPS, which acts as lubricating layers and diffusion barriers. TiAlCrSixN coating presents a potential application for severe wear owing to its tribological performance.

Effect of C doping on structure and properties of TiAlCrN coatings by filter cathode vacuum arc deposition

Ultra-hard and wear-resistant (TiAlCrN)C coatings were deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition method under the conditions of a fixed N2 flow rate (30 sccm) and an C2H2 flow rate of 0, 5, 10, 30 and 50 sccm. The effect of C2H2 gas flow on the phase structure, mechanical properties, friction properties, as well as corrosion resistance properties of the coating was studied systematically. The results show that C atoms exist in the form of replacing N atoms in the coating, making the coating structure more refined and transforming from a single face-centered cubic (fcc) to an amorphous state. A proper amount of carbon content aggravates the solid solution strengthening and lattice distortion effect of the coating, and increase the hardness of the coating. The coating (Fc = 10 sccm) presents ultra-high hardness (45.95 GPa), excellent wear resistance (1.1 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1) and corrosion resistance properties (2.488 × 10−7 A·cm−2). When excessive carbon was incorporated into the coating (Fc ≥ 10 sccm), a large amount of N was supplanted by C, and the soft amorphous carbon increased in the coating, which reduced the hardness and H/E of the coating, resulting in an increase in the wear rate. The (TiAlCrN)C coating exhibits excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and shows potential application value in surface protection in extreme environments.

Thermal oxidation resistance of quaternary TiAlCrN coatings prepared with cathodic arc evaporation

Thermal oxidation resistance of quaternary TiAlCrN coatings prepared with cathodic arc evaporation

Performance evaluation of titanium-based metal nitride coatings and die lifetime prediction in a cold extrusion process

Abstract Surface coating can greatly enhance the lifetime of cold extrusion die. It is a significant issue to evaluate the performance of coatings and even predict the lifetime of cold extrusion die. In this work, the titanium-based nitride coatings including TiN, TiAlN, and TiAlCrN were, respectively, deposited on the surface of high-speed steel substrate W6Mo5Cr4V2 (M2) by the physical vapor deposition technology. The hardness test, scratch test, Rockwell adhesion test, and pin-on-disc (POD) wear test were carried out aiming to investigate the performances of the three coatings including hardness, adhesion strength, and wear resistance. The results show that the TiAlCrN coating exhibits the highest hardness of 3,033 HV in comparison with TiN coating (1,222 HV) and TiAlN coating (1,916 HV), while it possesses poor adhesion strength and inferior wear resistance. Furthermore, the TiAlN coating presents the highest resistance to wear and spalling from the substrate. In addition, the Archard wear model of the coatings was solved and applied in the finite element model of cold extrusion to calculate the wear depth and lifetime of the cold extrusion dies. The results suggest that TiAlN coating is the optimal option for cold extrusion die as compared with TiAlCrN and TiN coatings. TiAlN coating can prolong the lifetime of the substrate die up to 260%.

Effect of plasma carbonitriding on the high-temperature tribological properties of a TiAlCrN coating on 300M steel by multi-arc ion plating

ABSTRACT A duplex treatment, namely, plasma carbonitriding followed by multi-arc ion plating, was used to improve the high-temperature tribological properties of TiAlCrN coatings on 300M steel in this research. The carbonitriding layer was first prepared on 300M steel substrates by the double glow plasma metallization technique. A corresponding heat treatment was performed, and then the TiAlCrN coating was synthesised on the surface of the carbonitriding layer and 300M steel substrates by multiarc ion plating. The microstructure, element composition and structural variations of the TiAlCrN coating were characterised using XRD, SEM and EDS. Moreover, the adhesion and high-temperature tribological behaviours of TiAlCrN coatings were studied by scratch tests and ball-on-disk wear tests, respectively. It was observed that the PCN + TiAlCrN coating showed gradient hardness support, a good chemical composition gradient and a diffusion effect in the carbonitriding process, which could significantly enhance the adhesion and tribological performance of the composite coating.

Effect of C Doping on Structure and Properties of TiAlCrN Coatings by Filter Cathode Vacuum Arc Deposition

Effect of C Doping on Structure and Properties of TiAlCrN Coatings by Filter Cathode Vacuum Arc Deposition

EFFECT OF DEPOSITION PARAMETERS ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HARD CA-PVD MULTICOMPONENT TiAlCrN AND TiAlCrCN COATINGS

Multicomponent TiAlCrN and TiAlCrCN coatings were deposited using vacuum arc evaporation technique on AISI 430 stainless steel. The influence of working gas pressure, C/N ratio, bias voltage on the structure and tribomechanical properties of the obtained coatings has been studied. The surface morphology, chemical compound of the coatings obtained under the various conditions has been analyzed by SEM with EDX, XRD, and XRF analysis. The dry wear pad-on-disc tests against 100Cr6 counterbody at 20 N load have been carried out. It was established that Vickers micro-hardness was varied from 26 to 41 GPa depending on deposition parameters.

Research on the Cutting Performances and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlCrN Coated Tools During Dry Turning

Physical vapour deposition technique was used to deposit TiAlCrN coatings on the YT15 tungsten carbide inserts. The dry turning tests of 20CrMo steel were carried out to evaluate performances of TiAlCrN coated and uncoated tools on the CA6140A lathe. The effect of the two kinds of tools on cutting forces, cutting temperature, surface roughness and tool wear had been investigated to assess the performance of TiAlCrN coated tools. The results showed that the cutting force and cutting temperature obtained by TiAlCrN coated tools were decreased and the TiACrN coated tools produced a better surface finish in comparison with the uncoated tools. The TiAlCrN coated tools yield working life about 45 min, which was two times of that for uncoated tools. The wear mechanisms of the TiAlCrN coated tools were mainly oxidation and boundary wear, accompanied with diffusion wear.

Evolution behavior of oxide scales of TiAlCrN coatings at high temperature

Coating oxidation performance is a major concern in modern machining and other high temperature applications. This study presents TiAlCrN composite coatings with different Cr content prepared on a magnetron sputtering device. SEM, AFM and XRD were used to determine the structure of the coatings. It was found that the coatings show a solid solution of B1-NaCl face-centered cubic structure with [200] preferential orientation. As the Cr content increases, the particle size and roughness of the coating increase slightly, while the hardness of the coating decreases. Oxidation tests revealed that no significant oxidation occurs in all coatings below 800 °C. However, as the oxidation temperature increases to 1000 °C, the Ti0.32Al0.38Cr0.30N coating undergoes severe oxidation and the Ti0.17Al0.19Cr0.64N coating remains good. The oxide scale of the coatings after oxidation test is analysis by XPS depth profiling in details. XPS results revealed that the oxide scale of the Ti0.32Al0.38Cr0.30N coating changes from a dense Al rich oxide layer (800 °C) to a loose and discontinuous TiAl rich oxide layer (1000 °C), which is the main reason for its poor oxidation resistance. However, the Ti0.17Al0.19Cr0.64N coating shows a top loose TiAl rich oxide layer and a dense bottom CrAl rich oxide layer. The presence of this dense and continuous CrAl rich oxide layer can limit the rapid diffusion of Ti atoms to the surface while preventing the oxygen atoms from diffusing into the interior, which is the key to excellent oxidation resistance of the Ti0.17Al0.19Cr0.64N coatings.

Evaluation of corrosion and oxidation behaviors of TiAlCrN coatings for nuclear fuel cladding

To develop a nuclear fuel cladding that has high tolerance under normal operating conditions and accident conditions, TiAlCrN coatings were deposited onto Zr substrates by multi-arc ion plating technique. After a corrosion test in static pure water at 360 °C and 18.5 MPa, the TiAlCrN coating showed no obvious spallation and had a weight gain of one order of magnitude less than that of the uncoated Zr sample. The decomposition and oxidation of the TiAlCrN coating at high temperature is an endothermic and exothermic reaction, respectively. Owing to the oxidation in the coating, the formed oxide layers reduce the oxygen penetration through the coating and also reduce the thickness of the zirconia layer from 300 μm to 10 μm at 1060 °C in air. This work lays the foundation for the next oxidation of TiAlCrN coating in high temperature steam, and demonstrates that TiAlCrN is a promising candidate material for the development of nuclear fuel cladding.

Micro-impact testing of AlTiN and TiAlCrN coatings

A novel micro-scale repetitive impact test has been developed to assess the fracture resistance of hard coatings under dynamic high strain rate loading. It is capable of significantly higher impact energies than in the nano-impact test. It retains the intrinsic depth-sensing capability of the nano-impact test enabling the progression of the damage process to be monitored throughout the test, combined with the opportunity to use indenters of less sharp geometry and still cause rapid coating failure. The micro-impact test has been used to study the resistance to impact fatigue of Al-rich PVD nitride coatings on cemented carbide. The impact fatigue mechanism has been investigated in nano- and micro-scale impact tests. Coating response was highly load-dependent. A Ti0.25Al0.65Cr0.1N coating with high H3/E2 performed best in the nano- and micro- impact tests although it was not the hardest coating studied. The role of mechanical properties, microstructure and thickness on impact behaviour and performance in cutting tests is discussed.

Pin-on-Disc Study of Tribological Performance of PVD Coatings

This paper deals with the evaluation of tribological properties of PVD coatings which are mainly used as wear resistance coatings. The aim of the work was to compare the tribological behaviour of TiCrN and TiAlCrN coatings deposited on the steel substrate using the technology of reactive cathode vapour deposition. The dry sliding wear of coatings has been investigated against tungsten carbide (WC) counterpart. The course of the friction coefficient indicated better sliding properties TiAlCrN with value 0.605 compared to TiCrN with friction coefficient value 0.877. The depth of worn-out surface amounted to about 2/3 of the worn-out surface of TiCrN coating. The surface of the WC ball showed higher roughening after tribo test of TiCrN.

Structures and properties of TiAlCrN coatings deposited on Ti(C,N)-based cermets with various WC contents

In this paper, the Ti(C,N)-based cermets with various WC contents were used as the substrates of TiAlCrN coatings. The influence of WC addition on the structures and properties of the coatings was investigated. Besides, cutting tests on the coated cermet inserts were conducted under different conditions. The results indicated that the cermet substrates with finer grains provided more nucleation to the coatings. The grain size of the coating decreased with increasing WC contents in the substrate. W diffused from the substrates to coatings, which deteriorated the adhesion between TiAlCrN coatings and the cermet substrates. The coated cermet inserts presented better cutting performance, when WC was added to the substrates. However, the cutting performance of the coated cermet inserts was weaken when the addition of WC was more than 10wt%.

Thermal stability and oxidation resistance of sputtered Ti[sbnd]Al[sbnd]Cr[sbnd]N hard coatings

In recent years, TiAlCrN coatings attract broad research interests owing to their excellent mechanical and tribological properties. Here, we study the thermal stability and oxidation resistance of two Ti1−x−yAlxCryN coating series, having up to 47 at.% Cr (of the metal fraction, hence, y≤0.47) for Al/(Ti+Al) ratios of ~0.55 and ~0.65. All as-deposited Cr-containing coatings are single-phase face-centered cubic (c) structured with hardness values between 32.0 and 33.9GPa. For Cr contents below y<0.38, age hardening due to spinodal decomposition of the Ti1−x−yAlxCryN solid solution is dominant upon annealing in inert atmosphere. But, for Cr contents y≥0.41, the thermodynamically stable wurtzite AlN phase rapidly nucleates upon annealing (accompanied by the dissociation of CrN bonds) leading to a significant hardness reduction above 700°C. Nevertheless, the oxidation resistance constantly increases with increasing Cr and Al content of our single-phased c-Ti1−x−yAlxCryN coatings, because both favor the formation of a dense well-adherent oxide scale and retard the growth of Ti-rich scales. Therefore, our Ti0.18Al0.35Cr0.47N coating – exhibiting the best oxidation resistance among all coatings studied − only exhibits a 1.3-μm-thin oxide scale after 20h exposure to ambient air at 900°C.

Impact of Al and Cr alloying in TiN-based PVD coatings on cutting performance during machining of hard to cut materials

The microstructure and electronic structure of nanodispersed (Al 67Ti 33N) and (Ti 10Al 70Cr 20N) PVD coatings were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron spectroscopy techniques: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). The grain size measured by HRTEM was 5–20 nm for Al 67Ti 33N and TiAlCrN type coatings, correspondingly. The spinodal decomposition of Al supersaturated nitrides under its deposition was found. Chromium increases the metastable solubility of h-AlN in c-Ti 1 − x Al x N. The lifetime of the cutting tools with Al-rich coatings has been evaluated under ball nose end milling of hardened tool steel H13 (HRC 50–52) and aerospace materials. TiAlCrN coatings are preferable for steel machining, and AlTiN coatings are better for aerospace material processing. It was found that AlTiN coating has lower hardness but higher plasticity and improved impact fatigue fracture resistance. The TiAlCrN coating has much better hot hardness and oxidation stability at high temperatures, but it is stiffer than AlTiN.

Properties of TiAlCrN coatings prepared by vacuum cathodic arc ion plating

TiAlCrN coatings were deposited by means of vacuum cathodic arc ion plating technique on TC11 (Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si) titanium alloy substrates. The composition, phase structure, mechanical performance, and oxidation-resistance of the nitride coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS). A new process for preparing protective coatings of the titanium alloy is successfully acquired. The experimental results indicate that the added element chromium in the TiAlN coatings make a contribution to form the (220) preferred direction. The phases of the coatings are composed of (Ti, Al) N and (Ti, Cr)N. After 700°C and 800°C oxidation, AES analysis shows that the diffusion distribution of the TiAlCrN coatings emerges a step shape. From the outside to the inner, the concentrations of O, Al, and Cr reduce, but those of Ti and N increase. The Al-rich oxide is formed on the surface of the coatings, and the mixed structure of Ti-rich and Cr-rich oxides is formed in the internal layer. The oxidation resistance of the TiAlCrN coatings is excellent at the range of 700 to 800°C. Adhesion wear is the dominant mechanical characteristic for the titanium alloy at room temperature, and the protective coatings with high hardness can improve the mechanical properties of the titanium alloy. The wear resistance of the TC11 alloy is considerably improved by the TiAlCrN coatings.

Impact of Al and Cr alloying of TiN‐based PVD coatings on its cutting performance

AbstractThe life of the cutting tools with TiN‐based coatings has been evaluated under turning and end milling. TiAlN and two compositions of TiAlCrN (25:65:10 and 10:70:20) coatings were investigated. The microhardness and the microhardness dissipation parameter of TiAlN and TiAlCrN coatings were measured. The energy band structure of the TiN‐based system has been calculated using EELFS data on surface atomic structure by self‐consistent density functional methods (ZINDO1). It was shown that the addition of Al to the TiN coating significantly reduce the inhomogenity of the electron density distribution within the volume of the molecules and a reduction in the chemical reactivity of the TiAlN coating. The addition of chromium to the TiN‐based nitrides also changes their electron structure decreasing the ion‐covalent character of the interatomic bonds of the crystal lattice while the hybridization of the d π‐electronic states responsible for the metallic atom bonds within the crystal lattice. The probability of the electron transfer to the condition zone also increases. All these features explain the phenomenon of the plasticity improvement in the TiN‐based compounds alloyed with Cr. Simultaneous addition of Cr and Al in the complex TiN‐based nitride weakens the long‐range bonds within the crystal lattice and reduces the polarity of these bonds down. This results in the enhancement of the plasticity of these compounds and improves the life of coated end‐mill cutters. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Surface Free Energy of Alloy Nitride Coatings Deposited Using Closed Field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputter Ion Plating

The sticking of product material to injection molding tools is a serious problem, which reduces productivity and reliability. Depositing alloy nitride coatings (TiN, ZrN, CrN, and TiAlCrN) using closed field unbalanced magnetron sputter ion plating and electrodeposition of chromium, and characterizing their surface free energies in the temperature range 20–120 � C have led to the development of a non-sticking (with a low surface free energy) coating system for semiconductor IC packaging molding dies. The contact angles of water, diiodomethane and ethylene glycol on the coated surfaces were measured at temperatures in the range 20–120 � C using a Dataphysics OCA-20 contact angle analyzer. The surface free energy of the coatings and their components (dispersion and polar) were calculated using the Owens-Wendt geometric mean approach. The surface roughness of these coatings were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The adhesion force of these coatings were measured using direct tensile pull-off test apparatus. The experimental results revealed that TiAlCrN, CrN and ZrN coatings outperformed Hard-Cr and TiN coatings in terms of anti-adhesion, and thus have the potential as working layers for injection molding industrial equipment, especially in semiconductor IC packaging molding applications. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.47.2533]

Effect of nitrogen pressure on the hardness and chemical states of TiAlCrN coatings

TiAlCrN coatings were reactively sputtered from a Ti0.37Al0.51Cr0.12 alloy target in this study with a nitrogen partial pressure ranging from 0% to 25% of the total pressure. The effects of the incorporation of nitrogen into the coatings on the hardness, elastic modulus, and chemical state of the metal atoms in the coatings were investigated. The hardness and reduced modulus of the coatings increased with increasing nitrogen partial pressures. The formation of ternary nitrides was inferred from the noticeable difference in the chemical states from those for the corresponding binary nitrides.