Growth,mechanical properties,and tribological performance of TiAlN/NbN and NbN/TiAlN bilayer coatings

Three different coatings, namely TiAlN, TiAlN (external)/NbN (internal) and NbN (external)/TiAlN (internal), were deposited on cemented carbides by arc ion plating. The comparative investigation conducted in this study elucidates the effect of the NbN layer and coating systems on the growth, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of the coatings. The results showed that the surface of the TiAlN and TiAlN/NbN coatings was smoother when TiAlN served as the external layer. The NbN/TiAlN coating, wherein NbN formed the external layer, had a much rougher but more symmetrical surface. With the introduction of the NbN layer, the increased micro stress induced a lower adhesion strength in the TiAlN/NbN and NbN/TiAlN coatings. The TiAlN/NbN and NbN/TiAlN coatings exhibited higher hardness and hardness/effective elastic modulus (H/E*). During the friction test, when the temperature was elevated to 700 °C, the tribological performance of the monolayer TiAlN coating was the lowest because of the TiO₂-induced breakage of the dense tribo-oxide film. The NbN layer participated in the formation of a NbO_x film at elevated temperatures, which was responsible for the high tribological performance of the two bilayer coatings. When the NbN layer was on the outermost layer and in direct contact with the elevated temperature atmosphere, the NbN/TiAlN coating generated a tribo-oxide film with high integrity, and its coefficient of friction decreased by 27% of that at room temperature. Therefore, the NbN/TiAlN coating exhibited the highest wear resistance at 700 °C.     

Tribological behavior of graphene reinforced chemically bonded ceramic coatings

To investigate tribological behavior of graphene reinforced chemically bonded ceramic coatings at different temperatures, tribological tests at room temperature, 200 °C and 500 °C were carried out. Results show that the fracture toughness and the hardness of the coating are improved with the introduction of graphene. Besides, the friction coefficient of the coating decreases with the addition of graphene at the room temperature and 200 °C. The coating without graphene achieves the similar friction coefficient at all temperatures. However, the coating with graphene achieves the lowest friction coefficient at 200 °C, and achieves the highest at 500 °C. In addition, the wear rate of the coating decreases with the increase of graphene. Besides, the wear rate at 200 °C is almost similar with that at room temperature. In contrast, the wear rate at 500 °C is much larger than those at room temperature and 200 °C. The mechanisms for graphene to decrease the friction coefficient and improve the wear resistance of chemically bonded ceramic coatings at evaluated temperatures are clarified.     

Influence of annealing temperature on microstructure evolution of TiAlSiN coating and its tribological behavior against Ti6Al4V alloys

TiAlSiN multicomponent coating, owing to its high hardness and excellent high temperature resistance, was widely used in the cutting field of difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium alloys. For machining titanium alloys, high temperature is easy to gather on the tool chips and deteriorate the cutting tools. Moreover, high temperature will also promote the microstructure evolution and make the wear mechanism more complex. In this paper, TiAlSiN coatings were deposited on cemented carbides and annealed at 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C respectively for 60 min in air, followed by reciprocating friction tests against Ti6Al4V counterparts. AFM, SEM, EDS and XPS were applied to investigate the microstructure evolution and tribological behavior of TiAlSiN coating after high temperature annealing. The results demonstrated that the oxidation resistance of TiN phase in TiAlSiN coating was worse than Si₃N₄ and AlN phases. These nitrides can be oxidized to TiO₂, SiO_x and AlO_x under 600 °C, and the depth of oxide layer was increased with the rising annealing temperature, resulting in the coarsened microstructure. The wear mechanisms of as-deposited TiAlSiN coating were oxidation wear and adhesion wear. With the rising annealing temperature, abrasive wear was gradually enhanced. For the TiAlSiN coating annealed at 800 °C, abrasive wear became the dominant wear mechanism.     

Effect of Annealing Temperature and Alumina Particles on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Ni-P-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Composite Coatings

In this study, the effect of annealing temperature and alumina particles on micro-hardness, corrosion, wear, and friction of Ni-P-Al₂O₃ composites coating is studied. The electroless nickel composite coating with various alumina particle content is deposited on a mild steel substrate. The corrosion behaviour and tribological behaviour (wear and friction) of the composite coated samples are investigated and compared with Ni-P coated samples. The micro-hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the composite coating improved significantly after heat treatment (400 °C) and in the presence of alumina particles. The composite coating deposited with alumina particle concentration of 10 g/L in an electroless bath and heat treated at 400 °C shows excellent results compared to Ni-P, as-deposited Ni-P-Al₂O₃ coating and coatings heat treated at different annealing temperature (200 °C, 300 °C, and 500 °C). Microstructure changes and composition of the composite coatings due to incorporation of alumina particles and heat treatment are studied with the help of SEM (scanning electron microscopy), EDX (energy dispersive X-ray analysis and XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis).     

Thermostability,oxidation, and high-temperature tribological properties of nano-multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coatings

In this study, monolithic AlCrSiN, VN, and nano-multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coatings were deposited using a hybrid deposition system combining arc ion plating and pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering. The microstructure, thermostability, mechanical, oxidation and tribological properties of the coatings were comparably investigated. The multilayered AlCrSiN/VN coating exhibited a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with (200) preferred orientation and showed the highest hardness (30.7 ± 0.5 GPa) among these three coatings due to the multilayer interface enhancement mechanism and higher compressive stress. The AlCrSiN sublayers effectively prevented the V element from rapid outward diffusion to the surface of AlCrSiN/VN coating at elevated temperatures, which improved the oxidation resistance of the coating. Decomposition of V (Cr)–N bonds occurred at annealing temperatures from 800 °C to 1000 °C and V₂N phase appeared at 1100 °C. The AlCrSiN/VN coating showed excellent tribological performance at high temperatures by combining the merits of VN layers for low friction coefficient and AlCrSiN layers for superior oxidation resistance. Compared to VN and AlCrSiN coatings, AlCrSiN/VN coating showed the lowest wear rate of 2.6×10^-15 m³/N·m at 600 °C and lowest friction coefficient of 0.26 at 800 °C with a relativity low wear rate of 39.4×10^-15 m³/N·m.     

Alumina composite coatings with enhanced high-temperature electrical insulating properties on Ni-based superalloy substrates

Electrical insulation of nickel-based superalloy substrate, especially at high temperature range, is one of the major challenges for the reliability and stability of the integrated thin-film sensors. Here, we report a solution-processed approach to fabricating high-temperature, electrically insulating coatings on Ni-based superalloy substrates. NiCrAlY coatings were fabricated by DC magnetron sputtering and heat-treated, and then Al₂O₃ films were deposited by sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the composition, phase, microstructure and morphology of these composite coatings. The electrical resistance of the composite coating was measured as a function of temperature up to 800 °C. Electrical resistance greater than 1 MΩ were consistently achieved from 600 °C to 800 °C. Moreover, this insulating coating survived thermal shock and thermal fatigue tests without cracking or delaminating. A type S thin-film thermocouple was prepared on the composite coating to verify its high-temperature electrical insulation performance.     

Tribological Behaviour of Electroless Ni-P Deposits Under Elevated Temperature

Electroless Ni-P (EN) coatings have already proven their aptness for improving the tribological performance of the base material. This is possible due to their high hardness, good wear resistivity and corrosion resistance. However, the performance evaluation of the EN coatings under high temperature or the assessment of their thermal stability is yet to be conducted. The present work deals with the study of tribological characteristics viz. friction and wear of EN coatings at elevated temperatures (100 °C, 300 °C and 500 °C) by varying the tribological testing parameters viz. applied load and sliding velocity. A detailed study of the tribological behaviour of the coating is undertaken individually for the as-deposited and heat treated samples. The results obtained are compared among each other and also with that of the room temperature (RT) tests of the coating. It is found that the friction coefficient (COF) and wear rate of EN coatings mostly increases with increase in load for all the test temperatures. However, for variation in sliding velocity, both COF and wear rate show a reverse trend. The as-deposited samples show lesser wear rate particularly at high temperature, which may be because of the in situ heat treatment received during the test. The asdeposited coatings yield better results especially when the test temperature is kept above or near the phase transformation temperature of the coating. The surface morphology, composition of coatings and crystalline structure are studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersed X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis respectively. The coating displays a nodular morphology and is amorphous in the as-deposited phase.With heat treatment, the coating turns crystalline. A mixed adhesive and abrasive wear mechanism is observed for the EN coatings tested at elevated temperature. Adhesive wear is accompanied by micro-cracks. Tribo-oxidation is confirmed from energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry.     

Electrochemical corrosion and materials properties of reactively sputtered TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings

TiN/TiAlN multilayers of 2 μm thickness were successfully prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method. XRD pattern showed the (1 1 1) preferential orientation for both TiN and TiAlN layers. XPS characterization showed the presence of different phases like TiN, TiO₂, TiON, AlN and Al₂O₃. Cross sectional TEM indicated the columnar growth of the coatings. The average RMS roughness value of 4.8 nm was observed from AFM analysis. TiN/TiAlN coating showed lower friction coefficient and lower wear rate than single layer coatings. The results of electrochemical experiments indicated that a TiN/TiAlN multilayer coating has superior corrosion resistance in 3.5% NaCl solution.     

The post-annealing effect on tribological and corrosion behaviors of CrN/AlCrN multilayered coating applied by CAE-PVD

The present study investigated the wear and electrochemical behaviors of CrN/AlCrN multilayered coatings post-annealed at 300, 450, and 600°C temperatures. The cathodic arc evaporation technique has been utilized to deposit the coatings. Scanning electron microscope, field emission SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and Rockwell-C indenter methods were used to characterize the coatings and to investigate the interdiffusion between the multilayered CrN/AlCrN and the H13 base metal. The results showed that the sharp interface of the CrN and AlCrN layers was blurred by the annealing process supporting the interdiffusion of the layers. The reciprocating wear test and the microhardness tester were used to evaluate the coatings’ mechanical behavior. The hardness and roughness of the coatings were increased by increasing the post-annealing temperature. The smallest wear rates were observed for the samples treated at 300 and 450°C, which were approximately 17 times and 12 times smaller than the wear rate of the sample annealed at 600°C. Electrochemical testing was used to study the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results showed that by increasing annealing temperature, corrosion resistances of the coatings are improved. As a result, the corrosion current density of the 600°C annealed coating was approximately 434 times smaller than as-deposited coatings.     

Effect of MoS2 content on friction and wear properties of Mo and S co-doped CrN coatings at 25–600 °C

With increasingly harsh working environments for mechanical systems and the rapid development of various high-tech industries, requirements for the stable operation of mechanical systems are increasing in a wide temperature range. Mo and S co-doped CrN coatings with different MoS₂ contents were prepared via unbalanced magnetron sputtering to provide better friction properties to the coatings at high temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation were adopted to analyze the microstructure and mechanical performance. The mechanical performance of the coatings was enhanced by increasing the MoS₂ content, however, excessive MoS₂ reduced the mechanical properties of the coatings. Besides, the adhesion of the coatings first increased and then decreased rapidly with the increase of the MoS₂ content. In addition, the residual stress of the coating first decreased and then increased upon increasing the MoS₂ content. The high-temperature tribological behavior of the coatings was measured from room temperature (25 °C) to 600 °C. The CrN/MoS₂-0.6A coating was found to exhibit low friction and wear coefficient at room temperature and relatively good comprehensive properties at high temperature. This study provides a feasible design for engineering applications and lays the foundations for the preparation of coatings with superior high-temperature friction properties.     

High-temperature compressive properties and tribological behaviour of Mo2NiB2–Ni cermets

The present work investigated the high-temperature compressive strength and tribological behaviours of Mo₂NiB₂–Ni cermets from 25 to 900 °C. Mo₂NiB₂–Ni cermets with four different Ni additions were first fabricated successfully and then tested. The results show that cermets with Ni/B 1.1 have the best compressive strength of 531.8 MPa at 900 °C and superior strength retention at high temperature. With the best high-temperature compressive strength, Mo₂NiB₂–Ni cermets with Ni/B 1.1 are used as pins with Si₃N₄ disks in a tribological test. The wear rate of Mo₂NiB₂–Ni cermets gradually increases as the temperature increases from 25 to 900 °C, while the friction coefficient shows the opposite trend. Within the entire testing temperature range, the friction coefficient decreases, and the minimum friction coefficient is obtained at 900 °C. The decline of the friction coefficient is attributed to the self-lubricating oxidation tribolayer covering the worn surface. Moreover, the dominant wear mechanism changes from abrasive wear to oxidation wear as the temperature exceeds 600 °C.     

Microstructure,bonding strength,and friction–wear performance of AlCrN/nitrided layer composite coating on H13 hot work mould steel

An AlCrN/nitrided layer (NL) composite coating was fabricated on H13 hot work mould steel using a cathode arc ion plating and low temperature plasma nitriding. The surface and cross-section morphologies, chemical composition, phases, and roughness of AlCrN/NL coating were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer, X–ray diffractometer (XRD), and atomic force microscope, respectively, the friction–wear performances of AlCrN/NL coatings at 400, 500, and 600°C were investigated using a high-temperature wear test. The results show that the AlCrN/NL coating with the surface roughness of 76.8 nm forms the AlN phase, which increase its hardness from 1088 HV of NL to 2381 HV. The average coefficients of friction (COFs) of AlCrN/NL coating at 400, 500, and 600°C are 0.70, 0.55, and 0.56, respectively, and the corresponding wear rates are 1.59 × 10⁻⁵, 9.77 × 10⁻⁵, and 3.93 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N/m, respectively, as a result, the lowest average COF and wear rate are at 500 and 400°C respectively. The wear mechanism of AlCrN/NL coating at 400°C is primary abrasive wear, accompanied by adhesive wear, while those at 500 and 600°C are primary adhesive wear, accompanied by abrasive wear.     

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC/TiB composite bioinert ceramic coatings in-situ synthesized by laser cladding on Ti6Al4V

To improve the wear resistance of titanium alloy, in this work, TiC/TiB composite bioinert ceramic coatings were synthesized in-situ via laser cladding using Ti and B₄C mixed powders as precursor materials. And to decrease the impact of the excessive residual tensile stress generated by the uneven temperature distribution on the performance of coatings, the coatings were then subsequently heated for 3 h at different temperatures (400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C) and then air cooled. The effects of heat treatment on the microstructure, residual stress, micro-hardness, fracture toughness, and wear resistance of the coatings were investigated. The results showed that phase compositions and microstructure of the heat-treated coatings were virtually identical to that of the untreated coatings; however, the precipitation of acicular TiB enhanced mechanical properties of the heat-treated coatings. In addition, the average residual tensile stress values of the coatings decreased as the heat treatment temperature increased, which improved fracture toughness of the coatings from 3.95 to 4.68 MPa m^1/2. Moreover, wear resistance of the coatings was greatly enhanced by heat treatment; as the wear volume of the heat-treated coatings decreased by 50% at 800 °C compared with that of the untreated coatings. Lastly, the coatings showed good biocompatibility after being evaluated in vitro, and therefore had broad application prospects in the field of orthopedic implants.     

Microstructure evolution and wear resistance of nitride/aluminide coatings on the surface of Ti-coated 2024 Al alloy during plasma nitriding

A duplex surface treatment consisting in depositing a Ti film followed by plasma nitriding was adopted to improve the wear resistance of 2024 Al alloys. Nano-grained Ti films were firstly deposited on the substrate surface by using magnetron sputtering, then plasma nitrided for 8 h at 400 °C, 430 °C, 460 °C and 490 °C, in a gas mixture of 40% N₂+60% H₂. Duplex coatings composed of three sublayers (i.e. the outmost TiN_0.3 layer, the intermediate Al₃Ti layer and the inside Al₁₈Ti₂Mg₃ layer) were obtained at nitriding temperature higher than 460 °C. The coatings obtained at 400 °C and 430 °C consisted of mainly α-TiN_0.3 with (002) preferred orientation. The surface hardness of the coatings increased at higher nitriding temperature, reaching the maximum of 500 HV at 490 °C, which was about 8 times higher than that of the uncoated alloy. The friction coefficients of 2024 Al alloy decreased in the coatings prepared at higher nitriding temperature, reaching the lowest values of 0.31 at 490 °C. The wear rate of the coated samples decreased by 56% compared with the uncoated ones. The analysis of worn surface indicated that the nitrided samples exhibited severe adhesive wear at 400 °C that changed to predominant abrasive wear at increased nitriding temperature.     

Wear behaviour of hydrogen free diamond-like carbon thin films in diesel fuel at different temperatures

In the present study, super hard, hydrogen free amorphous diamond-like carbons with a high fraction of sp³ hybridised carbon were deposited by pulsed laser deposition. The tribological performance of DLC coatings was investigated by translatory oscillating relative motion of a 100Cr6 steel ball in diesel fuel or ambient air at 25 °C or 150 °C temperature. The structure of the coatings and the tribological worn surfaces were characterised by Raman spectroscopy and by scanning electron microscopy. Bio-fuel with a high fraction of unsaturated fatty acids has the potential to reduce friction in tribological systems with chemically inert DLC. Diesel blend with 10% bio-fuel reduces friction at 150 °C. If there is no diesel fuel, pre-oxidation at 450 °C for 8 h leads to the best wear resistance (↓ f & wear rate) at room temperature. Without diesel fuel, enhancement of temperature up to 150 °C during wear testing causes an increase of the coefficient of friction. Again the 450 °C pre-oxidised sample revealed the lowest friction. For this coating, Raman spectroscopy points to a small increase of the sp² CC bonds. Diesel fuel seems to promote coherent coating failure under 150 °C wear, while pre-oxidation at 450 °C support adhesive coating ablation under higher loads or cyclic loading.     

Adhesion properties and fracture mechanism of plasma sprayed NiCrAl/Al2O3–13wt.%TiO2 coatings by post annealing

Plasma-sprayed NiCrAl/Al₂O₃–13wt.%TiO₂ coatings (AT13) deposited on mild steel substrate were annealed with varying temperatures in air. The adhesion of the coating was evaluated by tensile adhesive strength test. The microstructure and the fracture mechanism were studied using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron spectroscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy. It was found that the tensile bond strength of the coatings increased with increasing of annealing temperature at first and then decreased with increasing of annealing temperature further. The as-sprayed coating fractured at the interfaces of substrate/bond layer and bond layer/ceramic coating with a brittle–ductile mixed fracture. The measured strength expressed the adhesive strength and internal adhesive strength of the coating. The failure of the coating annealed at 300, 400, and 500 °C took place at the interface of substrate/bond layer and had a mixed fracture surface of transgranular cleavage fracture and localized ductile fracture. The strength obtained is the adhesive strength between the coating and the steel substrate. The coating annealed at 400 °C had a maximum strength of 42.9 MPa. When the temperature is above 600 °C, the bonding strength would be damaged. Therefore, there is a proper annealing temperature which can significantly improve the bond strength of the coating.     

Influence of different introduction modes of metal Ag into plasma sprayed Al2O3 coating on tribological properties

Al₂O₃ coating and Al₂O₃/Ag (10%) composite coating were prepared on the surface of GH4169 superalloy by the atmospheric plasma spraying technology. And an in-situ synthesis method was applied to introduce the Ag particles into a part of Al₂O₃ coatings to obtain Al₂O₃/Ag(synthesis) composite coating. Then, the microstructure and mechanical properties of these three Al₂O₃-based coatings were systematically studied in this work. In order to reveal the lubrication characteristics of Ag, their friction tests were carried out at room temperature (RT), 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C, respectively. The results showed that both microstructure and mechanical properties of Al₂O₃/Ag(synthesis) composite coating were better than that of Al₂O₃/Ag (10%) composite coating because many pores and cracks produced during the direct spraying. Although the friction coefficients of two kinds of composite coatings were close to that of Al₂O₃ coatings at RT, their wear rates were both greatly decreased due to the introduction of Ag. In addition, the lubricating performance of Ag was not enough to reduce their friction coefficients when friction temperature is lower than 600 °C. However, the friction coefficients of these composite coatings were both reduced to about 0.3 at 800 °C . At this time, the Al₂O₃/Ag(synthesis) composite coating also exhibited a lower wear rate because of its dense microstructure and excellent mechanical properties.     

Effect of temperature on friction and wear behaviour of CuO–zirconia composites

Results of wear tests using an alumina ball sliding against 5 wt% copper oxide doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (CuO-TZP) ceramics are reported as a function of temperature up to 700 °C. The specific wear rate and friction coefficient are strongly dependent on temperature. Below a critical temperature (T < 600 °C), CuO-TZP showed a high coefficient of friction as well as a high wear rate. This was ascribed to the formation of a rough surface, caused by brittle fracture and abrasive wear, based on observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). However, above 600 °C a self-healing layer is formed at the interface and results in low friction and wear. The mechanism of layer formation and restoration is discussed and rationalized by onset of plastic deformation caused by a reduction reaction of CuO to Cu₂O at high temperatures.     

TiO2–ZnO/Ni–5wt.%Al composite coatings on GH4169 superalloys by atmospheric plasma spray techniques and theirs elevated-temperature tribological behavior

Ni–based composite coatings with different amounts of TiO₂–ZnO were fabricated by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) to protect GH4169 superalloy substrates against excess wear and friction at elevated temperatures. In addition, the influence of the simultaneous addition of the oxides on the microstructure, microhardness, and wear behaviour was investigated. According to the results, the simultaneous addition of TiO₂/ZnO provides anti-friction and wear inhibition over 600 °C. In particular at 800 °C, the TiO₂–ZnO/Ni–5wt.%Al composite coating (10 wt% TiO₂ and 10 wt% ZnO were incorporated within Ni–5wt.%Al matrix) exhibits a superior lubricity and wear resistance compared to the Ni–5wt.%Al based coatings. The XRD, Raman, and TEM characterisations reveal the formation of a glaze oxide layer consisting of NiO, TiO₂, ZnO and the in-situ production of ternary oxide (Zn₂TiO₄), which was primarily responsible for the tribological performance of the sliding wear contacts at the specific temperature.     

Prepare SiTiOC ceramic coatings by laser pyrolysis of titanium organosilicon compound

A SiTiOC ceramic coating with outstanding tribological performance was prepared by laser scanning the organosilicon coating with different laser power. The composition and structure of the obtained SiTiOC ceramic coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The tribological performance of the coatings was studied using a multi-functional reciprocating friction and wear tester. The results showed that the chemical structure (chemical bonding) of the coatings prepared at 0 W, 350 W, and 500 W laser powers included Si-O-Si, Si-C, and TiO₂, while that prepared at 800 W was mainly composed of amorphous SiO₂, indicating that the coating had higher ceramization. The SiTiOC ceramic coatings prepared by the present process effectively reduced the friction coefficient and wear volume of the steel substrate, which indicated that they had good anti-friction and wear resistance properties.