Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer
This study systematically investigates the influence of nitrogen (N<sub>2</sub>) flow rates and nitrocarburized (PNC) interlayers on the mechanical and tribological properties of TiAlN coatings deposited on 300M steel substrates via magnetron sputtering. The coatings were fabricated unde...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/13/6/254 |
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| author | Shiwei Zuo Qinghua Li Zhehang Fan Xiaoyong Tao Xiangjie Wang Hui Xie Qianqian Shen Tianshi Jia Hongyan Wu |
| author_facet | Shiwei Zuo Qinghua Li Zhehang Fan Xiaoyong Tao Xiangjie Wang Hui Xie Qianqian Shen Tianshi Jia Hongyan Wu |
| author_sort | Shiwei Zuo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study systematically investigates the influence of nitrogen (N<sub>2</sub>) flow rates and nitrocarburized (PNC) interlayers on the mechanical and tribological properties of TiAlN coatings deposited on 300M steel substrates via magnetron sputtering. The coatings were fabricated under three N<sub>2</sub> flow rates (30, 90, and 150 sccm), with microstructure evolution, elemental composition, and phase transitions analyzed using SEM, EDS, AFM, and XRD. The results indicate that the PNC/TiAlN composite coatings exhibited superior interfacial adhesion and load-bearing capacity compared to standalone TiAlN coatings, attributed to the graded hardness transition and stress distribution optimization at the coating–substrate interface. Nanoindentation tests revealed enhanced hardness and elastic modulus in PNC/TiAlN systems under high N<sub>2</sub> flow conditions. Tribological evaluations demonstrated that the composite coatings achieved lower specific wear rates (25.23 × 10<sup>−8</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>·N<sup>−1</sup>·m<sup>−1</sup>) under 7.3 N, outperforming monolithic TiAlN coatings by mitigating abrasive wear and delamination. The synergy between N<sub>2</sub> flow modulation and nitrocarburizing pretreatment effectively optimized coating–substrate compatibility, establishing a robust framework for designing wear-resistant TiAlN coatings in extreme service environments. This work provides critical insights into tailoring PVD coating architectures for aerospace and heavy-load applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-309cfebb0b004d45b8ec9498c1dc3edd |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4442 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lubricants |
| spelling | doaj-art-309cfebb0b004d45b8ec9498c1dc3edd2025-08-20T03:16:22ZengMDPI AGLubricants2075-44422025-06-0113625410.3390/lubricants13060254Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized LayerShiwei Zuo0Qinghua Li1Zhehang Fan2Xiaoyong Tao3Xiangjie Wang4Hui Xie5Qianqian Shen6Tianshi Jia7Hongyan Wu8Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaCollege of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, ChinaCollege of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, ChinaCollege of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou 234000, ChinaZhengtai Anneng Digital Energy (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310051, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaThis study systematically investigates the influence of nitrogen (N<sub>2</sub>) flow rates and nitrocarburized (PNC) interlayers on the mechanical and tribological properties of TiAlN coatings deposited on 300M steel substrates via magnetron sputtering. The coatings were fabricated under three N<sub>2</sub> flow rates (30, 90, and 150 sccm), with microstructure evolution, elemental composition, and phase transitions analyzed using SEM, EDS, AFM, and XRD. The results indicate that the PNC/TiAlN composite coatings exhibited superior interfacial adhesion and load-bearing capacity compared to standalone TiAlN coatings, attributed to the graded hardness transition and stress distribution optimization at the coating–substrate interface. Nanoindentation tests revealed enhanced hardness and elastic modulus in PNC/TiAlN systems under high N<sub>2</sub> flow conditions. Tribological evaluations demonstrated that the composite coatings achieved lower specific wear rates (25.23 × 10<sup>−8</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>·N<sup>−1</sup>·m<sup>−1</sup>) under 7.3 N, outperforming monolithic TiAlN coatings by mitigating abrasive wear and delamination. The synergy between N<sub>2</sub> flow modulation and nitrocarburizing pretreatment effectively optimized coating–substrate compatibility, establishing a robust framework for designing wear-resistant TiAlN coatings in extreme service environments. This work provides critical insights into tailoring PVD coating architectures for aerospace and heavy-load applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/13/6/254TiAlN coatingsN<sub>2</sub> flow ratesnitrocarburized layertribological properties |
| spellingShingle | Shiwei Zuo Qinghua Li Zhehang Fan Xiaoyong Tao Xiangjie Wang Hui Xie Qianqian Shen Tianshi Jia Hongyan Wu Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer Lubricants TiAlN coatings N<sub>2</sub> flow rates nitrocarburized layer tribological properties |
| title | Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer |
| title_full | Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer |
| title_fullStr | Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer |
| title_short | Influence of N<sub>2</sub> Flow Rate on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of TAlN Coatings Deposited on 300M Substrate and Nitrocarburized Layer |
| title_sort | influence of n sub 2 sub flow rate on mechanical and tribological properties of taln coatings deposited on 300m substrate and nitrocarburized layer |
| topic | TiAlN coatings N<sub>2</sub> flow rates nitrocarburized layer tribological properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/13/6/254 |
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