Super-hard and anti-corrosion (AlCrMoSiTi)Nx high entropy nitride coatings by multi-arc cathodic vacuum magnetic filtration deposition

• Published in: Vacuum Vol. 195; p. 110685
• Main Authors: Zhao, Yiman, Chen, Shunian, Chen, Yujie, Wu, Shuai, Xie, Wenling, Yan, Weiqing, Wang, Shu, Liao, Bin, Zhang, Sam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2022
• Subjects: (AlCrMoSiTi)Nx nitride coatings; Face-centered-cubic; Multi-arc cathodic vacuum magnetic filtration deposition; N2 gas flow rate; Super-hardness; (AlCrMoSiTi)Nx nitride coatings; N2 gas flow rate; Super-hardness; Face-centered-cubic; Multi-arc cathodic vacuum magnetic filtration deposition
• ISSN: 0042-207X; 1879-2715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vacuum.2021.110685

Super-hard and corrosion-resistant (AlCrMoSiTi)Nx high-entropy nitride coatings were prepared using a novel multi-arc cathodic vacuum magnetic filtration deposition at different N2 gas flow rates (RN) of 0, 20, 50 and 70 sccm. The influence of RN on the element composition, phase structure, mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties of the coatings were systematically studied. Higher RN promoted higher N contents in the coatings that resulted in a transformation from an amorphous to face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase. At a high N content of 49 at. % (RN = 70%), the coating exhibits a simple FCC structure, and offers a superior combination of super-hardness, excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The exceptional hardness of the (AlCrMoSiTi)N coating (41.6 GPa) that surpasses most high-entropy ceramics is underlain by the formation of strong metal-nitride phase, the solid-solution strengthening and the fine grain strengthening. Therefore, (AlCrMoSiTi)Nx nitride coating presents a potential application in protective coating owing to its extraordinary mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.
•AlCrMoSiTi nitride coating prepared by multi-arc cathodic vacuum magnetic filtration.•Effect of N2 flow rate on structure and properties of coating was studied.•AlCrMoSiTi nitride coatings show a phase structure change from amorphous to FCC.•The AlCrMoSiTi nitride coatings show a super-hard of 41.6 GPa and low wear rate.•Super-hard nitride coating has a low corrosion current density of 2.2 × 10−8 A cm−2.