Comparison of Properties of Ti/TiN/TiCN/TiAlN Film Deposited by Cathodic Arc Physical Vapor and Plasma-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition on Custom 450 Steel Substrates

This study investigated the effects of deposition techniques on the microstructural and tribological properties of Ti/TiN/TiCN/TiAlN multilayer coatings onto a Custom 450 steel substrate. The coatings were produced using cathodic arc physical vapor deposition (CAPVD) and plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). The microstructure of the coatings was evaluated using (SEM), and phase formation was analyzed by (XRD). The mechanical properties of the coatings were examined by nano-indentation testing machine. Erosion behavior was studied using an erosion tester and the electrochemical behavior of the deposited films in 3.5% (wt) NaCl solution was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization. XRD analysis indicated that TiN, TiCN, and TiAlN featured different chemical compositions in each coating. Nano-indentation showed that the hardness of the CAPVD and PACVD coating was 23.35 and 12.92 GPa, respectively. The coefficient of friction was 0.22 for the CAPVD and 0.17 for the PACVD coatings. Erosion testing was conducted using two abrasive powders at impact angles of 30° and 90°. The results showed that erosion rate at an impingement angle of 90° was greater than that of 30° and the CAPVD coating showed better performance. The potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that the CAPVD coating provided better corrosion resistance than the PACVD coating.