Influence of N2/Ar Flow Ratio on Microstructure and Properties of the AlCrSiN Coatings Deposited by High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering

The cutting properties of tools can be greatly improved by AlCrSiN coatings. The AlCrSiN coatings with nitrogen content in the range of 28.2-56.3 at.% were prepared by varying the N2/Ar flow ratio from 1/4 to 1/1. The influence of N2/Ar flow ratio on composition, microstructure, and mechanical prope...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Coatings (Basel) 2018-01, Vol.8 (1), p.3
Main Authors: Li, Bai-Song, Wang, Tie-Gang, Ding, Jicheng, Cai, Yujun, Shi, Jing, Zhang, Xitong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abrasive wear
Abrasives
Adhesive strength
Adhesive wear
Bond issues
Crystal structure
Crystallinity
Cutting tools
Deformation mechanisms
Deformation resistance
Deformation wear
Kinetic energy
Magnetic properties
Magnetron sputtering
Mechanical properties
Microstructure
Nitrogen
Plastic deformation
Protective coatings
Substrates
Tribology
Wear mechanisms
Wear rate
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Summary:The cutting properties of tools can be greatly improved by AlCrSiN coatings. The AlCrSiN coatings with nitrogen content in the range of 28.2-56.3 at.% were prepared by varying the N2/Ar flow ratio from 1/4 to 1/1. The influence of N2/Ar flow ratio on composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties, as well as the tribological properties, of the coatings was investigated. With increasing N content, the coating microstructure gradually evolved from single fcc-(Cr,Al)N (200) phase to the mixture of fcc-(Cr,Al)N and hcp-(Cr,Al)N phase, which corresponds to an increased crystallinity within the coatings. The coating presents the highest hardness and best wear resistance for an N2/Ar flow ratio of 1/1, but the film adhesive strength and inner stress decreased obviously with increasing N2/Ar flow ratio, which was attributed to the rapid reduction of particle kinetic energy induced by the obstruction of neutral nitride particles between target and substrates. The highest H3/E*2 value exhibited the lowest wear rate, at 0.81 × 10−14 m3/(N•m), indicating that it had the best resistance to plastic deformation. The main wear mechanisms of the as-deposited coatings were abrasive wear and adhesive wear. The increasing crystallinity of the interior coatings resulted in higher hardness and better tribological behavior with an increase in N2/Ar flow ratio.
ISSN:2079-6412
2079-6412
DOI:10.3390/coatings8010003