Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings deposited by arc ion plating with separate targets

TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings were prepared by arc ion plating with separate targets. In order to decrease the unfavorable macroparticles, a straight magnetized filter was used for the low melting aluminium target. The results show that the output plasmas of titanium target without filter and aluminium target with filter reach the substrate with the same order of magnitude. Meanwhile, the number of macropartieles in TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings deposited with separate targets is only 1/10-1/3 of that deposited with alloy target reported in literature. Al atom addition may lead to the decrease of peak at （200） lattice plane and strengthening of peak at （111） and （220） lattice planes. The measured hardness of TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings accords with the mixture principle and the maximum hardness is HV2495. The adhesion strength reaches 75 N.

Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coated 316L stainless steel by arc ion plating as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Effect of Rare Earth Element Cerium on Mechanical Properties and Morphology of TiN Coating Prepared by Arc Ion Plating

TiN coatings were deposited on polished substrates of W18Cr4V high speed steel by means of vacuum arc ion plating. The effect of cerium on adhesion between TiN coating and substrate was studied. The microstructures and composition of TiN coatings were also investigated by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and X ray diffraction (XRD) technique. It was found that cerium is an effective modifying agent and the addition of suitable amount of cerium to TiN coatings can produce relatively excellent properties such as micro hardness, wear resistance, oxidation resistance and porosity. The experimental results show that the added cerium in TiN coatings makes a contribution to form the preferred direction along with a (111) or (222) close packed face, which may be one of the reasons that improves some properties mentioned above.

Microstructure and residual stress of TiN films deposited at low temperature by arc ion plating

The TiN films were deposited on 316 L stainless steel substrates at low temperature by arc ion plating. The influences of substrate bias voltage and temperature on microstructure, residual stress and mechanical properties of the films were investigated by EDS, SEM, XRD and nanoindenter tester, respectively. The results showed that the TiN films were highly oriented in（111） orientation with a face-centered cubic structure. With the increase of substrate bias voltage and temperature, the diffraction peak intensity increased sharply with simultaneous peak narrowing, and the small grain sizes increased from 6.2 to 13.8 nm. As the substrate temperature increased from 10 to 300℃, the residual compressive stress decreased sharply from 10.2 to 7.7 GPa, which caused the hardness to decrease from 33.1 to 30.6 GPa, while the adhesion strength increased sharply from 9.6 to 21 N.

Experimental Verification of the Physical Model for Droplet-Particles Cleaning in Pulsed Bias Arc Ion Plating

It has been reported that application of pulsed biases in arc ion plating could effectively eliminate droplet particles. The present paper aims at experimental verification of a physical model proposed previously by us which is based on particle charging and repulsion in the pulsed plasma sheath. An orthogonal experiment was designed for this purpose, using the electrical parameters of the pulsed bias for the deposition of TiN films on stainless steel substrates. The effect of these parameters on the amount and the size distribution of the particles were analyzed, and the results provided sufficient evidence for the physical model.

THE EFFECTS OF PULSE BIAS VOLTAGE AND N_2 PARTIAL PRESSURE ON TiAlN FILMS OF ARC ION PLATING (AIP)

Owing to the characteristics of arc ion plating(AIP) technique, the structure and composition of TiAlN films can be tailored by controlling of various parameters such as compositions of target materials, N2 partial pressure, substrate bias and so on. In this study, several titanium aluminum nitride films were deposited on 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV steel for compressor blade of areo-engine under different d.c pulse bias voltage and nitrogen partial pressure. The effects of substrate pulse bias and nitrogen partial pressure on the deposition rate, droplet formation, microstruture and elemental component of the films were investigated.

Composition demixing effect on cathodic arc ion plating

The composition demixing effect has been found often in alloy coatings deposited by cathodic arc ion plating using various alloy cathode targets. The characteristics of composition demixing phenomena were summarized. Beginning with the ionization zone near the surface of the cathode target, a physical model in terms of the ions generated in the ionization zone and their movement in the plating room modified by bias electric field was proposed. Based on the concept of electric charge state, the simulation calculation of the composition demixing effect was carried out. The percentage of atoms of an element in coating and from the alloy target was demonstrated by direct comparison. The influences of the composition change of the alloy target and the bias electric field on the composition demixing effect were discussed in detail. It is also proposed that the average charge states of the elements may be used to calculate the composition demixing effect and to design the composition of the alloy target.

STUDY ON HIGH TEMPERATURE PERFORMANCES OF MCrAlX COATINGS DEPOSITED BY MULTI-ARC ION PLATING

NCoCrAlSiYHf and CoNiCrAlTaY coatings which belong to protective Al 2O 3 scale forming type were deposited by multi arc ion plating technique . The effect of deposition process parameters on qualities of the coatings was discussed. The high temperature oxidation performances isothermal oxidation with 950℃ / 500h and 1100℃ / 100h were studied. And also, the hot corrosion performances at 700℃ and 800℃, with molten mixed salt composed of 75%wt Na 2SO 4 and 25%wt NaCl were investigated. Then the high temperature protection decaying mechanisms were proposed.

Influences of nitrogen flow rate on the structures and properties of Ti and N co-doped diamond-like carbon films deposited by arc ion plating

In this paper, Ti-C-N nanocomposite films are deposited under different nitrogen flow rates by pulsed bias arc ion plating using Ti and graphite targets in the Ar/N2 mixture gas. The surface morphologies, compositions, microstructures, and mechanical properties of the Ti-C-N films are investigated systematically by field emission scanning electron mi- croscopy （FE-SEM）, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, grazing incident x-ray diffraction （GIXRD）, Raman spectra, and nano-indentation. The results show that the nanocrystalline Ti（C,N） phase precipitates in the film from GIXRD and XPS analysis, and Raman spectra prove the presence of diamond-like carbon, indicating the formation of nanocomposite film with microstructures comprising nanocrystalline Ti（C,N） phase embedded into a diamond-like matrix. The nitrogen flow rate has a significant effect on the composition, structure, and properties of the film. The nano-hardness and elastic modulus first increase and then decrease as nitrogen flow rate increases, reaching a maximum of 34.3 GPa and 383.2 GPa, at a nitrogen flow rate of 90 sccm, respectively.

Effect of deposition parameters on mechanical properties of TiN films coated on 2A12 aluminum alloys by arc ion plating (AIP)

TiN films were deposited on 2A12 aluminum alloy by arc ion plating (AIP). The Vickers hardness of the films deposited at different bias voltages and different nitrogen gas pressures, and that of the substrate were measured. The surface roughness of the TiN films diposited at –30 V and –80 V respectively and at different nitrogen gas pressure was measured also. The mass loss of TiN films deposited at 0 V, –30 V and –80 V respectively were analyzed in dry sand rubber wheel abrasive wear tests and wet ones in comparison with uncoated Al alloy and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L). It is revealed that the highest hardness of the TiN film is obtained at a bias voltage of –30 V and a N2 gas pressure of 0.5 Pa. The surface roughness of the film is larger at –80 V than that at –30 V and reduces as the increase of the N2 gas pressure. The mass loss of TiN-film coated 2A12 aluminum alloy is remarkably less than that of uncoated Al alloy and also that of AISI 316L, which indicates that the abrasive wear rate is greatly reduced by the application of TiN coating. TiN coating deposited by arc ion plating (AIP) technique on aluminum alloy can be a potential coating for machine parts requiring preciseness and lightness.

Effect of Sample Configuration on Droplet-Particles of TiN Films Deposited by Pulse Biased Arc Ion Plating

Orthogonal experiments are used to design the pulsed bias related parameters, including bias magnitude, duty cycle and pulse frequency, during arc ion deposition of TiN films on stainless steel substrates in the case of samples placing normal to the plasma flux. The effect of these parameters on the amount and the size distribution of droplet-particles are investigated, and the results have provided sufficient evidence for the physical model, in which particles reduction is due to the case that the particles are negatively charged and repulsed from negative pulse electric field. The effect of sample configuration on amount and size distribution of the particles are analyzed. The results of the amount and size distribution of the particles are compared to those in the case of samples placing parallel to the plasma flux.

STRUCTURE, MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND THERMAL STABILITY OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON FILMS PREPARED BY ARC ION PLATING

Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) films have been prepared on Si(100) substrates by arc ion plating in conjunction with pulse bias voltage under H2 atmosphere. The depo sited films have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic f orce microscopy. The results show that the surface of the film is smooth and den se without any cracks, and the surface roughness is low. The bonding characteris tic of the films has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. It shows the sp3 bond content of the film deposited at -200V is 26.7%. The hardness and elastic modulus of the film determined by nanoindent ation technique are 30.8 and 250.1GPa, respectively. The tribological characteri stic of the films reveals that they have low friction coefficient and good wear- resistance. After deposition, the films have been annealed in the range of 350-7 00℃ for 1h in vacuum to investigate the thermal stability. Raman spectra indica te that the ID/IG ratio and G peak position have few detectable changes below 50 0℃. Further increasing the annealing temperature, the hydrogen can be released, the structure rearranges, and the phase transition of sp3 configured carbon to sp2 configured carbon appears.

Influence of Al Content on the Microstructure and Properties of the CrAlN Coatings Deposited by Arc Ion Plating

Four CrAlN coatings with various Al content were prepared by arc ion plating technology under different target currents. The effect of the Al content on the microstructure, chemical compositions, element chemical bonding states and mechanical properties of the CrAlN coatings was analyzed. X-ray diffraction results show that the primary phase of the CrAlN coating is fcc-（Al, Cr）N when the Al content is about 44.02 at.%. However, when the Al content increases to about 53.34 at.%, hcp-AlN phase emerges in the coating. And the hcp-AlN phase becomes the main phase in the CrAlN coating with Al content of about 69.55 at.%. Cross-sectional images show that all the four coatings possess dense structures and the deposition rate of Al atom is higher than that of Cr atom. The hardness of the CrAlN coating with Al content about 44.02 at.% is the largest （3149.72 HV） due to the solid solution hardening effect of the Al element. When the hcp-AlN phase is generated in the CrAlN coating, the hardness declines. The tribological experiment shows that the wear resistance of the CrAlN coating decreases gradually with increasing Al content when sliding against 100Cr6 steel ball.

Microstructure, Interface, and Properties of Multilayered CrN/Cr_2O_3 Coatings Prepared by Arc Ion Plating

There has been much interest in developing multilayered or nanolayered physical vapor deposition（PVD） coatings identified as a group of promising protective coatings for their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In this study, the multilayered Cr N/Cr2O3 coatings with different bilayer periods（L） were synthesized on the polished high speed steel substrates from a Cr target with the alternative atmosphere of pure nitrogen and pure oxygen by arc ion plating（AIP） technique. The results revealed that the microstructure,morphologies and properties of the multilayered coatings were strongly influenced by the bilayer period（L）.There were two kinds of interfaces in the multilayered Cr N/Cr2O3coatings： the sharp ones and the blurry ones. With reducing the value of L, the macro-particles densities decreased gradually, whereas the coating microhardness, adhesive strength and wear resistance first increased, and then decreased slightly or remained stable as the bilayer period L 〈 590 nm. The multilayered Cr N/Cr2O3 coating with the bilayer period L of 590 nm possessed the best comprehensive properties, namely the highest microhardness, the strongest adhesion, and the lowest wear rate.

Effects of Substrate Pulse Bias Duty Cycle on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti–Cu–N Films Deposited by Magnetic Field-Enhanced Arc Ion Plating

Ti–Cu–N films were deposited on 316 L stainless steel substrates by magnetic field-enhanced arc ion plating.The effect of substrate pulse bias duty cycle on the chemical composition,microstructure,surface morphology,mechanical and tribological properties of the films was systemically investigated.The results showed that,with increasing the duty cycle,Cu content decreases from 3.3 to 0.58 at.%.XRD results showed that only Ti N phase is observed for all the deposited films and the preferred orientation transformed from Ti N（200） to Ti N（111） plane with the increase in duty cycle.The surface roughness and deposition rate showed monotonous decrease with increasing the duty cycle.The residual stress and hardness firstly increase and then decrease afterwards with the increase in duty cycle,while the variation of critical load shows reverse trend.Except for the film with duty cycle of 10%,others perform the better wear resistance.

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of the AlTiN Coating Deposited by Arc Ion Plating

A new type of AlTiN coating containing about 29.13 at.% Al,16.02 at.% Ti and 54.85 at.% N was prepared by arc ion plating technology. The coating is composed of singular fcc-（Al, Ti）N phase and has no hcp-AlN phase to be formed. Due to the high content of beneficial element Al, the hardness and effective elastic modulus of the coating are up to 33.9 and 486.1 GPa, respectively. The adhesion strength between the coating and substrate is about 39.7 N. Electro- chemical test shows that the corrosion current density of the AlTiN coating is nearly one-sixth of the substrate, and the charge transfer resistance Rct of the AlTiN coating is much larger than that of the substrate, which means that the coating could act as a protective barrier between the substrate and corrosive electrolyte, enhancing the corrosion resistance.

TiAlN/Cu Nanocomposite Coatings Deposited by Filtered Cathodic Arc Ion Plating

TiAIN]Cu nanocomposite coatings with Cu concentration of 0-1.4 at.% were deposited on the high- speed steel （HSS） substrates by filtered cathodic arc ion plating technique. The chemical composition, microstructure, morphology, adhesion strength, mechanical and tribological properties of the TiAIN/Cu coatings were characterized and analyzed. The results reveal that the coating structure and properties depend on not only the Cu concentration, hut also the deposition condition. The addition of Cu significantly decreases the grain size and weakens the texture in the TiAlN/Cu coatings. With increasing the Cu concentration, the coating hardness decreases slightly from 30.7 GPa of the pure TiAlN coating to 28.5 GPa of the TiAlN/Cu coating with 1.4 at,% Cu. All the TiAlN/Cu coatings present sufficient adhesion strength. In addition, the existing state of additive Cu in the TiAlN/Cu coatings is also investigated.

Effects of the Thickness Ratio of CrN vs Cr_2O_3 Layer on the Properties of Double-layered CrN/Cr_2O_3 Coatings Deposited by Arc Ion Plating

In this study, CrN/Cr2O3 double-layered coatings with various thickness ratios of CrN vs Cr2O3 layer were prepared by arc ion plating technology. The influences of the thickness ratio of CrN vs Cr2O3 layer on the microstructural characteristics as well as the mechanical and tribological properties of the CrN/Cr2O3 doublelayered coatings were investigated. The corresponding mechanisms were also discussed. The results indicated that the insertion of CrN layer between the Cr2O3 layer and substrate can effectively decrease the internal stress level of the coating. With increasing the thickness ratio of CrN vs Cr2O3 layer, the surface roughness of double-layered coatings decreased gradually, which had a certain influence on the friction coefficient. In addition, the microhardness also declined gradually, the adhesive strength almost increased linearly, whereas the wear rate declined firstly and then increased slightly. As the thickness ratio was 2：1, the double-layered coating exhibited the best wear resistance.

Tribological properties in seawater for Ti/TiCN coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy by arc ion plating with different carbon contents

TiCN coatings incorporated with Ti buffer layer were deposited on Ti6A14V alloy by arc ion plating. The carbon content in TiCN coatings was varied by controlling flow rates of C2H2 in reactive gas. The Ti/TiCN coatings have a typical structure of columnar crystal with a total thickness of about 2 pro. The elements of Ti, C and N are present as TiN and TiC in TiCN coatings. A little free carbon appears with carbon content increasing in TiCN coatings. For the TiCN coatings, the hardness, friction coefficient and wear rate decrease with the increase in carbon content. In seawater, both friction coefficient and wear rate have an obvious decrease at lower carbon content compared with those in atmosphere. However, the friction coefficient and wear rate only have a slight decrease, while the carbon content reaches or exceeds 10 at% in Ti/TiCN coatings.

Co-based Amorphous/Nanocrystalline Composite Coatings Deposited by Arc Ion Plating

Cobalt-based amorphous/nanocrystalline composite coatings have been grown by arc ion plating together with a specimen cooling system. With decreasing substrate temperature, the coatings undergo significant structure evolution. The degree of crystallization first decreases and subsequently increases as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The cluster size first decreases and then remains constant as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The effect of substrate temperature on the evolution of the structure has been studied as a result of a competition between nucleation thermodynamics and kinetics of crystalline growth. With decreasing the substrate temperature, the microhardness and the critical load of the composite coatings firstly increased, and then remained almost constant. And the saturation magnetization revealed the opposite trend over the same range. The essence of these phenomena was ascribed to the microstructural variations caused by the decrease of the substrate temperature.