Abstract | Nano-structured TiN/VN coatings with a range of bi-layer periods from 3. 4 to 11. 0 nm were deposited on ferromagnetic 410 stainless steel (410SS) and non-ferromagnetic Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy substrates using an Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (UMS) technique; the microstructure, mechanical properties, and erosion performance of the as-sputtered coating were evaluated. While the surface morphologies of the coatings on these two substrates were different, the XRD measurements complemented by a texture evaluation through pole figures indicated that the preferred orientations of the TiN/VN coatings on 410SS and Ti-6Al-4V were also dissimilar. A nano-mechanical indentation technique was used to determine hardness and Young's modulus, and it was found that these parameters varied with superlattice bi-layer period and were dependent on the type of substrate material. Furthermore, the erosion resistances of the TiN/VN coatings were markedly higher than the bare substrate counterparts, and were influenced by the substrate type. Specifically, the differences in the microstructures and properties of the coatings were attributed to the difference in ion flux during the UMS deposition due to the dissimilar magnetic properties of the substrate materials. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC and ASM International. |
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