Effect of Arc Currents on the Mechanical, High Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion Properties of CrSiN Nanocomposite Coatings

Abstract

In methods for multi-arc ion plating technology, the behavior and characteristics of the arc spot determine the physical characteristics of arc plasma and the properties of the subsequent deposited coatings. In this paper, the effect of arc currents on the hardness, friction coefficient, high temperature oxidation, and corrosion properties of the CrSiN coatings was studied. According to the XRD and SEM results, with the increase of arc currents, the coatings grew preferentially to the CrN (111) crystal direction, and the CrN (220) crystal phase appeared at high currents of 90 A. In addition, the number of large particles increased when the current exceeded 70 A. The HR-TEM results confirmed the formation of nanocomposite structure of nanocrystalline of CrN embedded into the amorphous phase of Si3N4 as explored by XRD. The maximum hardness was achieved at 3120 Hv when the coatings were deposited under currents around 70 A. However, the hardness values decreased with further increase of arc currents. From the contact of ceramic balls with the wear of coatings, the surface of coatings gradually produced friction marks, and the friction force increased from a steady friction force to a dynamic friction force. The high temperature oxidation results showed that fewer oxides were formed on the surface of the coatings when oxidized at 800 °C. It was also found that CrSiN nanocomposite coatings prepared at an arc current of 70 A had a larger corrosion potential and polarization impedance, which could effectively protect the tool matrix.

Exploring the energy landscape and crystal structures of CrSi2N4

“…[ 9] Besides, exploration of the effect of the arc currents on the properties of the CrSiN nanocomposite coatings indicates that these nanocomposite coatings have a high corrosion potential, a low corrosion current, and a high polarization impedance. [ 10] The CrÀ SiÀ N films have been successfully fabricated by a hybrid HIPIMS (power impulse magnetron sputtering) and RF (radio frequency) magnetron co-sputtering technique, and the variation in the Si content in the resulting films suggests that the content of the silicon is a crucial parameter, as the improved film properties can be attributed mainly to the incorporation of Si element. [ 11] Thus, silicon is considered to have a strong influence on the microstructure as well as the mechanical properties of thin films.…”

Wear and Corrosion Performance of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Arc-Coated TiN/CrN Nano-Multilayer Film

“…Cathodic arc deposition (CAD) is a PVD technique that has been used to deposit ceramic hard films onto metallic surfaces, with most of these coatings exhibiting excellent wear and corrosion resistance properties. For example, the application of nitride films (such as TiN, CrN, ZrN, CrYN, and TiAlN) on various metallic materials using CAD has been demonstrated to significantly strengthen their wear and corrosion resistance [14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. In previous studies [21][22][23][24], a dual-coating design comprising an electroless nickel plating interlayer and a ceramic hard coating on ductile iron showed good corrosion resistance.…”

Mechanical Properties and Thermal Stability of CrZrN/CrZrSiN Multilayer Coatings with Different Bilayer Periods

“…Recently, transition metal nitride coatings with nanocomposite structure that are defined as a coexistence of the nanocrystalline and amorphous phases with complete immiscibility have emerged [9]. In particular, Si-containing nanocomposite coatings have received much attention due to the incorporation of Si, which led to the grain refinement of the nanocrystalline phase and the formation of amorphous Si x N y phase [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Furthermore, the use of nanocomposites containing Si has been expanded since amorphous Si x N y phase suppresses the diffusion of the oxygen ion [15].…”