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.     

Design of cycle structure on microstructure,mechanical properties and tribology behavior of AlCrN/AlCrSiN coatings

AlCrN/AlCrSiN coatings with cycle structure, composed of fcc-CrN, hcp-AlN and amorphous Si₃N₄ phases, were fabricated to protect high speed steel (HSS) tools by high energy ion source enhanced multi-arc ion plating technology with Al₇₀Cr₃₀ and Al₆₀Cr₃₀Si₁₀ alloying targets. With the increasing cycle structure, the crystal grains of AlCrN layers was refined from 60–110 nm to 8–15 nm, and the growth behavior transformed from (200)fcc to the coexistence of both (200)fcc and (111)fcc preferred orientation as demonstrated by GIXRD spectrum, calculated texture coefficient and HRTEM results. The HRTEM results investigated that the inter-planar spacing of CrN(111) was basically equal to that of AlN(0002) with parallel orientation relationship and the interface-1 between the substrate and adhesion layer with a semi-coherent appearance presented a specific orientation relationship. The coating with two cycle structure (Cycle 2) possessed better adhesion strength (HF1 grade, 62.7±1.3 N of Lc2), higher hardness (30.2±1.7 GPa), better fracture toughness (0.099 of H/E, 0.29 GPa of H³/E² and 9.8±0.3 MPa m^1/2 of K_IC under 20 kgf loading), lower friction coefficient (0.54), less wear rate (4.2 × 10^?16 m³/N·m) and longer service life (7.4 m).     

Microstructure and tribological properties of multilayered ZrCrW(C)N coatings fabricated by cathodic vacuum-arc deposition

In this study, a series of ZrCrW(C)N multilayer coatings with various transition layers were deposited on AISI304 stainless steel using cathodic vacuum-arc deposition in N₂–C₂H₂ gas mixture. The tribological behaviors of sliding against Al₂O₃ balls under dry friction and lubricant conditions were investigated using a reciprocating tribometer. The results demonstrated that the ZrCrW(C)N coatings comprised (Zr, Cr, W) (C, N) crystallites and an amorphous carbon phase. It possessed a nano-hardness of 35.4 GPa and an elastic modulus of 417.7 GPa. The friction coefficient of the coating was reduced by 14% compared to that of the 304 matrices, and the wear mechanism changed from adhesive wear to slight abrasive wear under the lubrication steady state. Under dry friction conditions, the ZrCrW(C)N coatings with the entire CrWN transition layer exhibited wear rates of 1.27 ± 0.04 × 10^?8 mm³ (N m)^?1, which were one order of magnitude lower than that of the 304 steel. Compared with the untreated AISI304 stainless steel, the ZrCrW(C)N coating exhibits excellent mechanical and tribological properties under lubricated and dry friction conditions, which are crucial for engineering applications.     

Effects of modulation ratio on the microstructure,mechanical and tribological properties of WB2/Cr multilayer films deposited by magnetron sputtering

WB₂/Cr multilayer films with different modulation ratios (λ = 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, and 20) were deposited by a combination of direct-current and pulse direct-current magnetron sputtering, and the number of bilayers was fixed at ten. The effect of the modulation ratio on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of the multilayer films was investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that a preferred orientation of WB₂ (101) and Cr (110) exists, and WB₂ (101) dominates the film's growth with increasing of modulation ratio. The TEM results show that the multilayer films consist of nanograins dispersed in an amorphous matrix in WB₂ layers and polycrystalline grains in Cr layers. The hardness increases with the increasing modulation ratio, and the maximum hardness (31.1 GPa) is obtained at λ = 20. The indentation toughness presents an opposite changing trend, and the maximum indentation toughness (1.264 MPa m^1/2) is obtained in S1 at λ = 1 which conforms to the rule of mixture due to the relatively thick bilayer thickness (Λ = 160–192 nm). The wear mechanism is investigated, and the results suggest that the multilayer film with λ = 7 possesses the best wear resistance (2.06 × 10^?7 mm³/Nm), benefiting from the balance of hardness and indentation toughness.     

Investigations on Material and Mechanical Properties,Air‐Permeation Behavior and Filtration Performance of Mullite‐Bonded Porous SiC Ceramics

A theoretical relation between processing parameters and porosity (29–56%) of mullite‐bonded porous SiC ceramics was derived and validated with experimental data. Porosity‐dependent variation of fracture strength (9–34 MPa) and elastic modulus (7–28 GPa) was explained by the minimum solid area model. At room temperature, the Darcian, k₁ (1.2 × 10^?13–1.6 × 10^?12 m²) and the non‐Darcian, k₂ (4.6 × 10^?9–2.7 × 10^?7 m) permeability coefficients showed linear variation with porosity. Tests conducted up to 650°C indicated an increase in k₁ with temperature and a reverse trend for k₂. Airborne NaCl nanoparticle filtration tests showed good performance of SiC ceramics with fractional collection efficiency of >99% at 46–56% porosity levels.     

Microstructure and tribological behavior of TiAlSiN coatings deposited by deep oscillation magnetron sputtering

Development of pulsed‐techniques aimed to generate highly ionized target species and high plasma density opens up a new way to tailor composition, structure, and properties of coatings. In this work, TiAlSiN coatings have been deposited at various negative substrate biases (V_s) using deep oscillation magnetron sputtering by sputtering a TiAlSi compound target in Ar/N₂ mixtures. The increase in V_s from ?30 to ?120 V resulted in a decrease in (111)‐preferred orientation and grain size, together with the increase in residual stress and rough morphology. The nc‐TiAlN/a‐Si₃N₄ nanocomposite structure was obtained in coatings. The highest hardness and Young's modulus reached 42.4 and 495 GPa at ?120 V, respectively. However, at ?60 V, the coatings with the highest H/E* and H³/E*² ratios of 0.095 and 0.332 exhibited excellent adhesion with above HF1 level, the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.35 and specific wear rate of 2.1 × 10^?7 mm³ N^?1 m^?1. Wear mechanism changed from the mixture of severe adhesive, oxidative and abrasive wear to mild oxidative wear to severe oxidative wear. TiAlSiN coatings with high hardness and H/E* and H³/E*² ratios exhibited the decrease in COF and wear rate due to refined grains in uniform distribution, which well promoted oxide layers formed on sliding contact surface.     

The tribo-corrosion behavior of monolayer VN and multilayer VN/C hard coatings under simulated seawater

The monolayer VN as well as multilayer VN/C coatings were obtained on 316 L steel via physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology. Structure, mechanical property and tribo-corrosion behavior of monolayer VN and multilayer VN/C coatings under simulated seawater were estimated by corresponding detection equipment. After analysis, C nanolayer could break the grain growth of VN phase, which would enhance the coating toughness and inhibit the source of crack. At the same time, the multilayer structure interface could suppress the dislocation movement. In tribo-corrosion process, the corrosion current density (i_corr) of VN/C coating was 2.71 × 10⁻⁶ A/cm², which was 70.47% lower than that of VN coating (9.18 × 10⁻⁶ A/cm²), implying that the nano-multilayer structure of VN/C coating showed a strong barrier effect on corrosion medium. Moreover, the C nanolayer not only suppressed the permeation of simulated seawater, but also formed the transfer film to protect the substrate. Thus, the multilayer VN/C coating revealed stronger anti-wear and anti-corrosion abilities than the monolayer VN coating.     

Microstructural,mechanical and marine water tribological properties of plasma-sprayed graphene nanoplatelets reinforced Al2O3- 40 wt% TiO2 coating

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as reinforcement in the ceramic matrix is rising continuously due to their outstanding mechanical and lubricative properties. Herein, different compositions of GNPs (0.5–2 wt%) reinforced alumina-titania coatings were prepared using atmospheric plasma spraying. The relative density of AT coating increased from 83% to 94% with just (1.5 wt%) addition of GNP. Consequently, mechanical properties i.e. hardness and elastic modulus were improved by ~77% and ~69% respectively. Fracture toughness also increased from 2.65 ± 0.95 MPa.m^1/2 to 5.85 ± 1.07 MPa.m^1/2. Furthermore, the seawater wear test, using a ball-on-disc tribometer revealed that the wear rate of AT coating decreased from ~11 × 10^?14 m³/Nm to ~4 × 10^?14 m³/Nm, whereas the coefficient of friction reduced from 0.33 ± 0.05–0.16 ± 0.03. The mechanisms involved to improve these properties, viz. GNP sandwiching, crack bridging, crack arrest, etc. GNP’s multi-layers facilitated long-term lubricity and enhanced the wear resistance properties of the coatings.     

Nanoindentation,AFM and tribological properties of thin nc-WC/a-C Coatings

Instrumented indentation, AFM (atomic force microscopy) and tribological studies were performed on PE CVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) nanocomposite WC–C coatings to investigate the effects of surface roughness on the reliability of nanoindentation data and the possibilities of different AFM modes in nanomechanical testing, which can be used as a feedback to optimize deposition technology from the viewpoint of their mechanical properties. It was confirmed that surface roughness below 30 nm is necessary to keep the scatter of indentation modulus, E_IT, and hardness, H_IT, below 15%. PF QNM (Peak Force Quantitative NanoMechanical) mode was successfully applied for qualitative mapping of the elastic modulus of coatings with the stiffness above 300 GPa. LFM (lateral force microscopy) mode showed only weak contrast and quantitative measurements in both AFM modes require precise calibration. Coefficients of friction of the studied WC–C coatings were below 0.2 at RT, but increased to 0.7–0.8 at 450 °C due to the formation of a transfer film. Optimization of the deposition conditions based on nanoindentation resulted in the increase of E_IT from ～220 GPa to 350 GPa and H_IT from ～17 GPa to ～29 GPa.     

Tribological behaviour of RF-magnetron sputter deposited hydroxyapatite coatings in physiological solution

The aim of the paper is to explore the tribological performance of hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering on AZ31 magnesium alloy (96% Mg, 3% Al, 0.7% Zn, 0.3% Mn) for biomedical applications. In this study, the position of the samples on a substrate holder, relative to a target erosion zone was taken into consideration in order to elucidate its impact on the coating characteristics, such as composition, morphology, surface topography and tribology. Substrate rotation and arc-movement were foreseen in the experimental set-up to increase the uniformity of thin film properties. The deposited HA thin films were revealed to exhibit an increase of the Ca/P ratio from 1.83 to 1.97, a decrease of (002) texture and thickness, as the samples were shifted towards the target erosion zone. By coatings, the roughness of Mg alloy was decreased (R_{a Mg alloy}=31.3 nm; R_{a coating}=29 nm and 21 nm). The coating placed in the centre of the substrate holder showed high hardness and Young's modulus (H =8.3±0.9 GPa; E=89±10 GPa) than the coating prepared under the target erosion zone (H =6.9±1.1 GPa; E=75±6 GPa). The coating deposited under target erosion zone exhibits superior friction behaviour in simulated body fluid environment, with the friction coefficient (μ) of 0.184, while the sample located in the centre of the substrate holder possesses the friction coefficient (0.306) comparable to the AZ31 substrate (0.307). The low wear rate was determined in the case of coating deposited under target erosion zone (4.83×10⁻⁵ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹) than uncoated AZ31 substrate (0.00518 mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹) or than coating placed in the centre of the substrate holder (0.00294 mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹).     

Positive modification on the mechanical,tribological and oxidation properties of AlCrNbSiN coatings by regulating the Nb/Si-doping ratio

The precise control of Nb/Si-doping ratio is the critical factor to tailor AlCrNbSiN coatings with superior comprehensive properties. In this study, the effect of Nb/Si-doping ratio on the microstructure, mechanical, tribological and oxidation properties of AlCrNbSiN coatings was systematically researched. With the increase of Nb/Si-doping ratio, coatings’ microstructures changed from a featureless dense structure to a columnar and equiaxed mixed microstructure gradually. The main phase was transformed from the solid solution phase of h-Al(Cr)N for Nb-free coating (Nb/Si = 0:1) to c-Al(Cr)N solid solution for three Nb-containing coatings (Nb/Si = 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1). When Nb/Si ratio is 1:1, the formation of harmful h-NbN phase was found in the coating. The performance results indicated that, (1) The AlCrNbSiN coating with the Nb/Si ratio of 2:1 achieved optimal hardness (~34.9 GPa), toughness (CPRs ~569.3) and the minimum wear rate of 2.34 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/(N·m); (2) When the Nb/Si-doping ratio is 1:2, the coating exhibited the best oxidation resistance, attributing to the sufficient (Al, Si)O_x oxidation protective layer and only a small amount of AlNbO₄ and CrNbO₄ formed at 1200 °C.     

In situ characterization of high temperature elastic modulus and fracture toughness in air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings under bending by using digital image correlation

The evolutions of elastic modulus and fracture toughness are the key factors affecting the failure mechanism and durability of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Combined the high temperature three-point bending with the digital image correlation (DIC) method, the variations of high temperature elastic modulus and fracture toughness of air plasma sprayed TBCs with temperature are determined. The surface and interfacial cracking information can be monitored real-time by DIC system. The results show that when the temperature rises from 30 °C to 800 °C, the elastic modulus and fracture toughness of TC decrease from 20.3 GPa to 13.1 GPa and from 1.31 MPa m^1/2 to 1.16 MPa m^1/2, respectively. And the interfacial fracture toughness increases from 83.7 J/m² to 156.3 J/m². These results are consistent with the available values determined in literatures, which ensures the validity of this method.     

Porosity effect on microstructure,mechanical, and fluid dynamic properties of Ti2AlC by direct foaming and gel‐casting

In this study, Ti₂AlC foams were fabricated by direct foaming and gel‐casting using agarose as gelling agent. Slurry viscosity, determined by the agarose content (at a fixed solids loading), as well as surfactant concentration and foaming time were the key parameters employed for controlling the foaming yield, and hence the foam porosity after sintering process. Fabricated foams having total porosity in the 62.5‐84.4 vol% range were systematically characterized to determine their pore size and morphology. The effect of the foam porosity on the room‐temperature compression strength and elastic modulus was also determined. Depending on the amount of porosity, the compression strength and Young's modulus were found to be in the range of 9‐91 MPa and 7‐52 GPa, respectively. Permeability to air flow at temperatures up to 700°C was investigated. Darcian (k₁) and non‐Darcian (k₂) permeability coefficients displayed values in the range 0.30‐93.44 × 10^?11 m² and 0.39‐345.54 × 10^?7 m, respectively. The amount of porosity is therefore a very useful microstructural parameter for tuning the mechanical and fluid dynamic properties of Ti₂AlC foams.     

Sintering,thermal expansion,and thermal transport properties of A4Ta2O9 (A= Ca,Mg) tantalates

Searching for new oxides with low thermal conductivity and high thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) as thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is vital for the development of highly efficient gas turbines and aeroengines. We report the densification sintering, high TECs, and low thermal conductivity of A₄Ta₂O₉ (A = Ca, Mg) tantalates. The best sintering temperature of dense A₄Ta₂O₉ ceramics was determined via an optical contact angle tester, and samples with a relative density of 99.8% were synthesized via spark plasma sintering (SPS). The hardness (9–10 GPa), Young's modulus (172.7–211.8 GPa) and fracture toughness (1.5–1.6 MPa m^1/2) of the A₄Ta₂O₉ ceramics are primarily affected by the bonding strength. Furthermore, we studied the thermal transport properties of A₄Ta₂O₉. The low thermal conductivity (1.78–1.93 W m^?1 K^?1 at 900 °C), extraordinary phase stability, and high TECs (11.4–11.8 × 10^?6 K^?1 at 1200 °C) of A₄Ta₂O₉ ceramics make them candidate TBCs with high operating temperatures.     

Structural and Thermo‐Mechanical Properties of Nd: Y2O3 Transparent Ceramics

Various content of neodymia Nd: Y₂O₃ (Nd: 0.5–5.0 at.%) transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering. The prepared Nd: Y₂O₃ ceramics exhibit high transmittance (~80%) at the wavelength of 1100 nm. It is found that the increase in Nd concentration enhances the grain size growth, while decreases the phonon energy, which is benefit for improving both the luminescence quantum and up‐conversion efficiency. The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent 1.0 at.% Nd: Y₂O₃ ceramic is 5.51 W·(m·K)^?1 and 8.11 × 10^?6 K^?1, respectively. The hardness and the fracture toughness of the transparent ceramic is 9.18 GPa and 1.03 Mpa·m^1/2, respectively. The results indicate that the Nd: Y₂O₃ transparent ceramic is a potential candidate material for laser.     

Evaluation of Air Permeation Behavior of Porous SiC Ceramics Synthesized by Oxidation‐Bonding Technique

Porous SiC ceramics were synthesized by oxidation bonding of compacts of commercial α‐SiC powder at 1300°C. Different volume fractions of petroleum coke powder were used for variation of porosity of ceramics from 36% to 56%. The material exhibited variations of pore size from 3 to 15 μm, flexural strength from 5.5 to 29.5 MPa, and elastic modulus from 3.3 to 27.6 GPa. Air permeation behavior was studied at 26–650°C. At room temperature Darcian (k₁) and non‐Darcian (k₂) permeability parameters vary from 1.64 to 18.42 × 10^?13 m² and 0.58 to 2.95 × 10^?7 m, respectively. Temperature dependence of permeability was explained from structural changes occurring during test conditions.     

Self-driven near-UV and visible light detection based on ITO/Gd-doped BiFeO3/Au heterostructure

Multiferroic BiFeO₃ materials have driven great interest due to their potential in solar-spectrum energy harvesting, optoelectronic and photodetection devices. Here we report effects of electric-field poling on electronic hybridization and domain structure, and their correlations with photovoltaic responses in the ITO/(Bi_0.93Gd_0.07)FeO₃ ceramic/Au heterostructure under 405 nm and 532 nm irradiations. Photovoltaic conversion, photoresponsivity (R) and specific detectivity (D*) are sensitive to ceramic thickness, photon energy, light intensity and electric-field poling. The photoresponsivity and detectivity in the 1 kV/cm poled photovoltaic cell under low-intensity 405 nm irradiation can respectively reach ～4.5 × 10^?2 A/W and 2.5 × 10¹¹ Jones, which are larger than ～2.8 × 10^?2 A/W and 1.56 × 10¹¹ Jones in the unpoled cell. This study demonstrates fast response times of ～1 × 10^?3 s and ～2 × 10^-2 s respectively under 405 nm and 532 nm irradiations. The improved photoresponse was driven jointly by the p-n junction, the field-modulated Schottky barriers and the network of grain boundaries and domain walls.     

Preparation and elastic–plastic indentation response of MgAlON transparent ceramics

MgAlON transparent ceramic was prepared via pressureless sintering and post hot isostatic pressing. The in-line transmittance of MgAlON ceramic exceeds 80% in the range 0.39–4.67 μm, and the ceramic was fully dense with average grain sizes ～55 μm. The mechanical properties at the grain boundary (GB) and the center of the grain (CG) of MgAlON ceramic was investigated by nanoindentation at forces of 1 × 10²–3 × 10⁵ μN. The results indicated that the hardness values of MgAlON ceramic were sensitive to the testing forces and measurements position. The hardness at GB zone was lower than that at CG zone, which was probably ascribed to weaker interatomic bonding force in GB area. The Meyer's index of the hardness in GB and CG regions is 1.87 and 1.82, respectively. There is a weaker ISE in GB area of MgAlON as a result of larger plasticity and smaller elasticity. The hardness values of GB and CG regions are ～13.36 GPa and ～13.58 GPa, respectively.     

Microstructure and high-temperature sintering properties of APS coatings prepared from spherical thin-walled hollow-shell powders

High-performance thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) made of 4 mol.% Y₂O₃–stabilized ZrO₂ (4YSZ) powder with a spherical thin-walled hollow-shell (STHS) structure exhibited a special microstructure different from the conventional lamellar structure of air plasma-sprayed (APS) coatings. The as-sprayed STHS APS coatings had a completely tetragonal prime (t′) structure and non-lamellated closed-cell structure with high porosity, which resulted in relatively low thermal conductivity (～1.0 W m^?1 K^?1) and high Vicker's hardness (～6 GPa). The influences of high-temperature aging on the microstructure stability, phase stability, and sintering capability were investigated after long-time heat treatment at different temperatures. The characterization results indicated that the pore content was basically constant, and it was less than 0.5% for sintered linear shrinkage of the STHS coatings after heat treatment at 1500 °C for 100 h. Furthermore, no spalling appeared in the STHS APS coating with the t′ phase structure after 101 thermal cycles of the water-quenching method at 1050 °C, and no monoclinic ZrO₂ (m-ZrO₂) phase was present in all of the STHS coatings after aging at 1200 °C for 1–1100 h. The excellent anti-sintering properties and phase stability of the STHS coatings are attributed to the closed-pore microstructure and the highly pure t′ phase composition with uniform distribution of ions, respectively. The results suggested that the non-lamellated closed-cell microstructure is beneficial for improving the coating properties, and the results also provide guidelines for microstructure design of TBCs using a feedstock powder.     

YSZ/MoS2 self-lubricating coating fabricated by thermal spraying and hydrothermal reaction

Thermal sprayed ceramic coatings have extensively been used in components to protect them against friction and wear. However, the poor lubricating ability severely limits their application. Herein, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/MoS₂ composite coatings were successfully fabricated on steel substrate with the combination of thermal spraying technology and hydrothermal reaction. Results show that the synthetic MoS₂ powders are composed of numbers of ultra-thin sheets (about 7 ~ 8?nm), and the sheet has obvious lamellar structure. After vacuum impregnation and hydrothermal reaction, numbers of MoS₂ powders, look like flowers, generate inside the plasma sprayed YSZ coating. Moreover, the growing point of the MoS₂ flower is the intrinsic micro-pores of YSZ coating. The friction and wear tests under high vacuum environment indicate that the composite coating has an extremely long lifetime (>?100,000 cycles) and possesses a low friction coefficient less than 0.1, which is lower by about 0.15 times than that of YSZ coating. Meanwhile, the composite shows an extremely low wear rate (2.30?×?10^?7 mm³ N^?1 m^?1) and causes slight wear damage to the counterpart. The excellent lubricant and wear-resistant ability are attributed to the formation of MoS₂ transfer films and the ultra-smooth of the worn surfaces of hybrid coatings.