Cr-Based Sputtered Decorative Coatings for Automotive Industry

Abstract

The present work aims to study the impact of O and N addition on Cr-sputtered coatings on plastic (polycarbonate, PC) used in automobile parts, as a promisor alternative for auto part metallization, while eliminating the usage of toxic hexavalent chromium. The coatings were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering from a single pure Cr target in a reactive atmosphere (N2 and/or O2). The deposition of the coatings was performed maintaining the total pressure constant and close to 1 Pa by tuning Ar pressure while reactive gases were added. The target current density was kept at JW = 20 mA·cm−2. Structural characterization revealed a mixture of α-Cr, δ-Cr, β-Cr2N, and CrN crystalline structures as well as amorphous oxides. The coating hardness ranged from 9 GPa for the CrON coating to 15 GPa for the CrN coating. All deposited coatings showed a particularly good interface adhesion; adjusting the amount of O and N made it possible to tune the optical properties of the Cr-based coatings as desired. The promising results open future industrialization of sputtered Cr-based coatings for automotive industries.

Metallization of Recycled Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers Processed by UV-Assisted 3D Printing

“…According to the previous assumptions, PVD sputtering for 3D-printed recycled composites could be proposed for the automotive and furniture sectors. For the former, metallized 3D-printed recycled composites may be used for high-performing and customized batches of small-and medium-format parts, whereas for the latter it shows good potential for large-format customized products [49,50]. As a matter of fact, this coating technology influences not only the technical properties of a 3D-printed product but also its expressivesensorial qualities, influencing the perception of customers and end-users [35,51].…”

Identification of the elastic-plastic properties of CrN coating on elastic-plastic substrate by nanoindentation using finite element method-reverse algorithm

“…For the CrN coating, several studies have evaluated its Young's modulus through an analytical approach (Oliver-Pharr method) or by [41] 2 DC-PVD** cemented carbide 19 [42] 1.3 RF-PVD 2 silicon 16 [43] 1 DC-PVD silicon 13 [44] 0.3 RF-PVD metallic glass 12 [45] 0.6 DC-PVD silicon 10 [46] 0.3 RF-PVD metallic glass 8.5 [47] 2 DC-PVD stainless steel Microhardness test 5 [47] 2 DC-PVD stainless steel 3-22 [48] 4-5 DC-PVD stainless steel E (GPa) 437 [41] 2 DC-PVD cemented carbide Olivar and Phar (nanoindentation tests) 360 [40] 0.8 DC-PVD stainless steel 235 [45] 0.6 DC-PVD silicon 170 [43] 1 DC-PVD silicon 160 [44] 0.3 RF-PVD metallic glass 100 [46] 0. finite element modeling and found values between 100 and 437 GPa (Table 3). Based on (JH) model results (Table 2), Young's modulus of the CrN coating varies between 67 and 205 GPa and hence, the bound constraints have been defined between 50 and 240 GPa.…”

Decorative Chromium Coatings on Polycarbonate Substrate for the Automotive Industry

“…The use of thermoplastics, such as ABS, polyamides, and polycarbonates, in the industry became increasingly common to replace metal components. The reasons that lead to the constant growth of plastic components in the automotive industry are their low-weight, which allows a more energy-efficient system, corrosion resistance, great freedom of design, and the low production cost, which are characteristic of polymers [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Most of the used plastic components have been manufactured by injection molding and further metalized by other methods, such as electrochemical plating, PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), a family of thermal spray methods, and a series of polymer–metal direct bonding methods (such as adhesive bonding, injection overmolding, and fusion joining techniques) [ 4 ].…”

“…Most of the used plastic components have been manufactured by injection molding and further metalized by other methods, such as electrochemical plating, PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), a family of thermal spray methods, and a series of polymer–metal direct bonding methods (such as adhesive bonding, injection overmolding, and fusion joining techniques) [ 4 ]. In this way, it was possible to combine the beneficial characteristics of plastics with those of the metals that coat them, i.e., maintaining a shiny metallic finish and a high reflectivity and conductivity [ 3 ]. The chrome plating process, in particular, can provide greater protection against wear and corrosion while giving the parts a metallic decorative appearance [ 5 ].…”

“…In this study, chromium coatings with incremental thicknesses were deposited by magnetron sputtering onto polycarbonate (PC) substrates. PC is being increasingly used and adapted to various industries, including the automotive industry, and can be used for both technical and optical applications because of its interesting properties, such as tunable optical transmittance, excellent thermal and flame resistance, high impact withstanding strength, and high stability under different environmental conditions [ 3 , 16 ]. Since the direct application of a metallic coating on a polymeric part may present some challenges and compromise the durability of the final part, one of the main common solutions is to apply a base-coat layer after obtaining the polymer to (i) level the surface, allowing a flatter deposition of the metallic layer and (ii) improve the adhesion properties [ 17 ].…”