Comparison of corrosion, physico-mechanical and wear properties of TiN, ZrN, TixZr1-xN and Ti1-xAlxN coatings

Abstract

In this paper, TiN, ZrN, TixZr1-xN, Ti1-xAlxN coatings were obtained by cathodic arc evaporation at optimal technological parameters. The corrosion properties of these coatings were investigated in 5% NaOH. The coating ZrN deposited by cathodic arc evaporation slows down the corrosion in the 5% NaOH by over 3,000 times, and the passive current – by 2,000 times. The TixZr1-xN coating has the best physico-mechanical properties: microhardness Н = 36 GPa, Young’s modulus Е = 312 GPa, elastic recovery We = 78 %, resistance to elastic failure strain H/E = 0.12, and resistance to plastic strain H3/E2 = 1.31 GPa. The Ti1-xAlxN coating has the best wear properties: friction coefficient 0.09, counterbody wear intensity by volume 0.43•10-8 mm3/Nm, coating wear intensity by volume 0.05•10-4 mm3/Nm and by mass•0.03•10-5 mg/Nm. Multilayer coating TiN-TixZr1-xN-Ti1-xAlxN-ZrN (ZrN-top layer) has a complex of high physico-mechanical and wear properties in 5% NaOH.