Formation of Si-Rich Interfaces by Radiation-Induced Diffusion and Microsegregation in CrN/ZrN Nanolayer Coating

Abstract

A combination of coating deposition and consequent ion implantation could be beneficial in wear-resistant antifriction surface design and modification. In the present paper, the effects of low-energy 60 keV Si-ion implantation on multinanolayered CrN/ZrN grown on a stainless-steel substrate have been investigated. Complementary experimental (X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry) and theoretical (first-principles) methods have been employed to investigate the structure, phase, and composition under a 1 × 10–17 cm–2 irradiation dose. This study has revealed a moderate radiation-tolerance of the CrN/ZrN system, with a 26 nm bilayer period, where the effective ion range after irradiation was below 110 nm. Within the ion range, a decrease in composition homogeneity and structure crystallinity has been found. Si negative ions have been distributed asymmetrically with peak concentrations (10 and 6%) occupying the interfaces between the CrN and ZrN layers. First-principles investigations of the CrN/ZrN(001) heterostructures were carried out to validate the experimental results, which showed that the alignment of Si-rich interfaces closer to chromium layers is a consequence of the lower substitution energy of CrN rather than ZrN. Thus, strong Si–Cr bindings and difference in displacement energies of ZrN and CrN have been attributed as the main factors in Si-rich interface formation. The pin-on-ball tribological test results have exposed the enhancement in wear resistance and the friction coefficient of nanoscale coating via amorphous Si particles descending from interfacial areas and acting as a third-body.

Probing the Impact of Tribolayers on Enhanced Wear Resistance Behavior of Carbon-Rich Molybdenum-Based Coatings

“…In the case of MoCN coating, a higher wear depth (∼2150 nm) with the irregular curve was obtained, revealing the lower wear resistance of ∼7.3 × 10 –5 mm 3 /N m, and these possible wear scars are developed due to the trapping of third-body wear particles at the interacting interfaces. These particles are hard enough to produce deep scratches on the coating surface representing abrasive nature because of the reduced mechanical properties . The friction (0.64 ± 0.08) and wear rate (9.6 × 10 –4 mm 3 /N m) were found to be significantly higher for the bare 316L SS substrates.…”

“…These particles are hard enough to produce deep scratches on the coating surface representing abrasive nature because of the reduced mechanical properties. 35 The friction (0.64 ± 0.08) and wear rate (9.6 × 10 −4 mm 3 /N m) were found to be significantly higher for the bare 316L SS substrates. Survey spectra (Figure 5e) disclosed that the primary elements (Mo and C) from the coating, as well as reactive O from the atmosphere and mild transfer of the element Fe from the sliding counterbody were also observed in the MoC wear track.…”

Evaluation of Low-Toxic Hybrid Sol-Gel Coatings with Organic pH-Sensitive Inhibitors for Corrosion Protection of AA2024 Aluminium Alloy

“…If these deposits had good adhesion with the substrate, they could act as protectors, but in this case, part of the product is easily lifted, which may indicate that they could be mostly hydroxides. Similarly, the samples that have been coated with the sol-gel are shown in backscattered electrons (BSE) in Figure 7 [ 41 , 42 ]. In comparison, no cracks or corrosion products such as oxides/hydroxides appear in the sample without protective coating from the crosssection view (sample AL of Figure 7 ).…”

Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Advanced Layered WN/MeN (Me = Zr, Cr, Mo, Nb) Nanocomposite Coatings

“…For many decades monolayer nitrides, such as TiN, ZrN, and CrN, have been used for tribological applications. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that alternating deposition of binary nitride layers produces multilayer coatings with superior properties, i.e., TiN/ZrN, TiN/CrN, CrN/ZrN, MoN/CrN, and TiN/MoN [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. That resulted in the widespread interest in multilayer architecture since it provides high hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability.…”