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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

High temperature oxidation behavior of (Ti, Al)N coating deposited by arc ion plating

(Ti, Al)N gradient nano-coating was deposited on the surface of 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV stainless steel by the MTP-8-800 arc ion plating equipment. And the oxidation performance at high temperature for 500h was tested under the condition of the surrounding air temperature 700℃. The test results show that, because of the structural features of the （Ti, Al）N coating, the coating becomes the compact and continuous Al2O3 film, which can protect the basis material effectively in the process of the high temperature oxidizing. The oxidation kinetics of the coating accord with parabolic law.

Structure and wear resistance of TiN and TiAlN coatings on AZ91 alloy deposited by multi-arc ion plating

In order to investigate the microstructure of TiN and TiAlN coatings and their effect on the wear resistance of Mg alloy, TiN and TiAlN coatings were deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy by multi-arc ion plating technology.TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were prepared on the substrate,respectively,which exhibited dark golden color and compact microstructure.The microstructures of TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were investigated by X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The micro-hardness and wear resistance of TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were investigated in comparison with the uncoated AZ91 alloy. The XRD peaks assigned to TiN and TiAlN phases are found.The hardness of TiN coatings is two times as high as that of AZ91 alloy, and Ti70Al30N coating exhibits the highest hardness.The wear resistance of the hard coatings increases obviously as result of their high hardness.

Structure and Tribological Properties of CrTiAlN Coatings Deposited by Multi-Arc Ion Plating

CrTiAIN coatings were prepared by using a home-made industrial scale multi-arc ion plating system. The coatings were found to be composites of face-center-cubic CrN and TiN. The surface roughness, microhardness, and tribological properties of the films were significantly affected by the nitrogen pressure and dc-pulsed bias voltage applied to the substrate. The CrTiA1N coatings with the smoothest surfaces were obtained at optimum conditions of nitrogen pressure of 5.0 Pa and bias voltage of -200 V. The samples were found to exhibit a hardness of 2900 HV0.05 with an average friction coefficient of 0.16 and wear rate of 1.5× 10^-16 m^3/N.m against cemented carbide.

Effect of partial pressure of reactive gas on chromium nitride and chromium oxide deposited by arc ion plating

The effects of reactive gas partial pressure on droplet formation, deposition rate and change of preferred orientation of CrN and Cr2O3 coatings were studied. For CrN coatings, as nitrogen partial pressure increases, the number and size of droplets increases, the deposition rate initially increases obviously and then slowly, and the preferred orientation of CrN changes from high-index plane to low-index one. For Cr2O3 coatings, with the increase of oxygen partial pressure, the number and size of droplets decreases, the deposition rate decreases and the (300) becomes the preferred orientation. These differences are ascribed to the formation of CrN (with a lower melting point) and Cr2O3 (with a higher melting point) on the surface of Cr target during the deposition of CrN and Cr2O3. Complete coatings CrN or Cr2O3 film can be formed when reactive gas partial pressure gets up to 0.1 Pa. The optimized N2 partial pressure for CrN deposition is about 0.1?0.2 Pa in order to suppress the formation of droplets and the suitable O2 partial pressure for Cr2O3 deposition is approximately 0.1 Pa for the attempt to prevent the peel of the coating.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON SUPERFICIAL COAT OF GEARS OF NITRIDED 32Cr2MoV COATED WITH TiN FILM BY MULTI-ARC ION PLATING

After 32CrMoV is selected to manufacture nitrided gears coated with TiN by multi-arc ion plating, all of these uncoated gears and coated gears run in the gearbox under the same initial conditions so as to compare their difference concerning properties and microstructure. Experiment results indicate that tooth surface of the coated-TiN gears does not suffer surface abnormalities in meshed zone. Instead, the gears with nitrided case exhibit an abrasion mark on the meshed zone of tooth surface, which results in more weight loss of nitrided gears. The morphology of the surface suggests TiN film with more than 2 000 HV is so dense and smooth that coated-TiN gears have higher wear resistance compared with the uncoated gears. The microstructure of coated-TiN gears is finer, hardness is higher and its distribution of coated-TiN gears is more reliable than uncoated ones, which makes nitride layer combined with TiN film tightly. Consequently, the wear-resistance of gears has been dramatically promoted.

Deposition of photocatalytic TiO_2 and N-doped TiO_2 films by arc ion plating

TiO2 and N-doped TiO2 films were deposited on the glass substrates by arc ion plating method. The results show that the deposition rate does not change with the increasing deposition time. The increase of mass flow rate of N2 gives rise to the increase of deposition rate. All as-deposited TiO2 and N-doped TiO2 films are amorphous. The anatase TiO2 phase with preferred orientation(101) is acquired by post-annealing at 400 ℃ for 2 h. The incorporation of N into the TiO2 films and the heat treatment extensively shift the band edge to the visible light region.

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.

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.

Simplification of the Plasma Load of Negative-Pulse-Bias Source Used in Arc Ion Plating

Based on the voltage and current fluctuating phenomenon in the arc plasma load under the negative-pulse-bias, usingthe plasma physics theory and analysis of computer simulation expatiates that the nature of plasma load in vacuumarc plasma is a capacitance load caused by plasma sheath and can be simplified as a parallel unit composed of acapacitor and a resistor, which have exact and quantitative description in the plasma physics theory. It concludes thevalues of capacitance and resistance are thousand PF and hundred ohm from the result of simulation and experiment.As a result, this has solved the key theoretical issues for the design of negative-pulse-bias source specifically used forvacuum arc ion plating.

STUDIES OF Cr-O THIN FILNS DEPOSITED BY MULTI-ARC ION PLATING

This paper presents the formation of Cr-O thin films on an iron substrate by multi-arc ion plating, which are intended to be used as a thermal radiation absorbent in electronic vacuum devices. Only oxygen was used as a reaction gas during deposition, the Cr-O thin film, must have high adhesion and low outgassing rate. The scratch test shows that the critical load, for an applicable Cr-O thin film deposited in oxygen atmosphere alone at a pressure of 8×10-1 Pa, was as high as 6kg.

Composition Gradient Hard Coatings by Arc Ion Plating

Arc Ion Plating can be used to synthesize multi-component composition gradient hard coatings by adjusting arc currents of metal targets. The present work aims at a comprehensive description of such a technique. The examples of TiAl multi-layer alloy coatings and (Ti, M) N composition-gradient films were taken (M representing Zr, Nb etc.) for the purpose of explaining the working process and evaluating practical effects. The results show that this technique has the advantages of easy manipulation, rapid deposition, and wide composition range.

Deposition of chromium aluminum nitride coatings by arc ion plating

Cr-Al-N ternary coatings were deposited by arc ion plating method using isolated Cr target and Al target. The influence of AlN content on the phase change was studied by synthesizing Cr1-xAlxN coatings with different x values. The effects of substrate negative bias on the surface morphology,deposition rate and phase structure were investigated. As the aluminum content increases,the structure of(Cr1-xAlx)N changes from B1(NaCl) phase to B4(wurtzite) phase. The critical content of AlN solubilized in B1(NaCl) lattice is close to 0.7. With the increasing pulse negative bias,the deposition rate decreases constantly,the droplet contamination is more serious,the ion-etching effect on coating surface is more obvious,and the change of preferred orientation and the shift of XRD peak take place.