Evaluation of Magnetron Sputtered TiAlSiN-Based Thin Films as Protective Coatings for Tool Steel Surfaces

Abstract

Steel surface protection with hard coatings is essential in metalworking, yet developing high-performance coatings is challenging. TiAlSiN coatings grown on various substrates using commercial targets have been extensively studied, but consistent data on their properties are lacking. This study focused on TiAlSiN single layers (SL) and TiAlSiN/TiN bilayers (BL), with an 800 nm thick TiAlSiN top layer and a 100 nm thick TiN mid layer. These coatings were grown on C120 tool steel discs via reactive DC magnetron sputtering using TiAlSi 75–20–5 at.% and Ti targets fabricated in-house through spark plasma sintering. The stability of coatings was assessed after thermal treatment (TT) in air at 800 °C for 1 h. SEM analysis revealed a columnar microstructure with pyramidal grains in the SL and BL coatings, and coarser pyramidal and prismatic grains in both TT coatings. EDS analysis showed a decrease in Ti, Al, Si, and N content after annealing, while O content increased due to oxide formation. High indentation hardness (9.19 ± 0.09 GPa) and low effective elastic modulus (148 ± 6 GPa) were displayed by the BL TT coating, indicating good resistance to plastic deformation and better load distribution. The highest fracture toughness was noted in the BL TT coating (0.0354 GPa), which was 16.4 times greater than the steel substrate. Better scratch resistance and low coefficient of friction (COF ≤ 0.35) were exhibited by both TT coatings. Tribological tests showed a mean COF of 0.616–0.773, comparable to the steel substrate (0.670). The lowest corrosion current density (0.1298 µA/cm²), highest polarization resistance (46.34 kΩ cm²), and a reduced corrosion rate (1.51 µm/year) in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was also exhibited by the BL TT coating. These findings indicate TiAlSiN/TiN films as effective protective coatings for tool steel surfaces.