Titanium-Base Nanostructure Coatings for AISI M52 Tool Steel by Gas-Phase Mix Process

Abstract

Deposition of Multicomponent hard coatings (Ti-B-N-C) on the molybdenum high-speed tool steel (AISI M52) has been achieved by mixed vapordeposition technique to improve the mechanical properties of the surface. In this technique the coating materials that were supplied in the gas phase were produced from powders that vaporized by thermal energy (that is, PVD-Reactive Evaporation Process), while the reactor that used to deposit Ti-Base coatings is hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) system equipment. This combination results in technical and financial advantages. The structure of deposited Ti-Base hard film was characterized by XRD technique, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Mechanical characterization of the hard films has been performed by using Vickers micro hardness tester and The Ball-on-disk wear tests. With different reactive gas flow rates that ranged from 500 to 3000Sccm(standard Cubic Centimeter per Minute), the film showed amorphous matrix with crystalline Nano fibers of Ti-B phase which led to achieve higher hardness of 2051HV and better wear resistance with relatively good COF values of 0.61 than the uncoated tools.