Effect of number of layers on erosion,corrosion, and wear resistance of multilayer Cr–N/Cr–Al–N coatings on AISI 630 stainless steel

In the present study, multilayered Cr–N/Cr–Al–N coatings were prepared by cathodic arc physical vapor deposition (PVD) with different numbers of layers and the same total thickness on AISI 630 steel in an attempt to improve the wear and erosion–corrosion resistance. Structural analysis of the coatings was performed by field scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Depth profiles and roughness parameters of worn surfaces were calculated after erosion and wear tests. XRD indicated that nitride compounds were formed in multilayer coatings by PVD. The Cr–N/Cr–Al–N coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared with AISI 630 substrate. The erosion–corrosion results revealed that the smoothest wear track with the minimum erosion rate and wear depth was obtained for five- and seven-layered coatings. The failure mechanism of the bare substrate was influenced by plastic deformation via cutting and plowing, while the failure mechanism for coated samples was chipping and delamination. According to the wear results, the multilayer coatings showed a lower friction coefficient and better surface morphology that demonstrated their high ability for wear protection.