A Comparative Study of Microstructure and Properties of Multicomponent Coatings Based On (TIZRSIY)N System Prepared by the Vacuum ARC Deposition

Abstract

The effect of reaction gas (nitrogen) pressure on the structural-phase state and properties of vacuum-arc nitride coatings of (TiZrSiY)N system has been studied. On the surface of the coatings, a significant amount of the droplet fraction and solidified macroparticles of the sputtered cathode is observed, which is typical for vacuum-arc condensates obtained from unseparated plasma flows. In all samples, titanium nitride with a cubic fcc lattice is identified. In the coatingobtained at nitrogen pressures 0.08 Pa and 0.2 Pa, the α-Ti phase was determined, and the measured lattice parameter of this phase suggests that it is a solid solution of nitrogen in titanium. The texture coefficient of the multicomponent coating obtained at the highest nitrogen pressure of 0.55 Pa has the highest value of 5.95 compared to others. The Vickers hardness of multicomponent coatings increases depending on the partial pressure of nitrogen from 25.0 GPa to 36.0 GPa. According to the complex of tribo-mechanical parameters (hardness, elastic modulus, elastic strain to failure, friction coefficient etc.), suggested multicomponent (TiZrSiY)N coatings can be very attractive for tribological applications.

Keywords

• vacuum-arc coatings
• multicomponent nitride coatings
• nitrogen partial pressure
• texture
• vickers hardness
• adhesive strength