Next Article in Journal
Micron-Smooth, Robust Hydrophobic Coating for Photovoltaic Panel Surfaces in Arid and Dusty Areas
Previous Article in Journal
Promising Antifungal Activity of Cedrela fissilis Wood Extractives as Natural Biocides against Xylophagous Fungi for Wood Artwork of Cultural Heritage
Previous Article in Special Issue
Corrosion Protection Mechanism Study of Nitrite-Modified CaAl-LDH in Epoxy Coatings
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Microstructure, Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of CrN Coating with Platinum-Iridium Co-Doping

Liaoning Key Laboratory of Complex Workpiece Surface Special Machining, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114051, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020238
Submission received: 18 January 2024 / Revised: 10 February 2024 / Accepted: 16 February 2024 / Published: 18 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Corrosion Resistant Coatings)

Abstract

:
A novel Pt-Ir co-doping strategy was devised to enhance the corrosion resistance of CrN coating. The deposited CrN coating exhibits a coherent growth pattern, resulting in significant mechanical strength and large grain sizes. However, during the corrosion process, corrosive fluids infiltrate through growth defects, leading to inadequate corrosion resistance of the coating. By incorporating Pt-Ir atoms as dopants, coherent grain growth is effectively hindered, yielding a uniformly smooth surface. Simultaneously, localized non-coherent lattice growth occurs due to co-doping in the coatings, impacting the mechanical properties of CrN-PtIr coatings and causing multidirectional fracture. Nevertheless, this dense coating surface impedes the penetration of corrosive fluids and enhances the corrosion resistance of the coating to some extent.

1. Introduction

The Earth is abundant in marine resources, and with marine development on the rise, significant attention has been devoted to the performance of materials utilized in marine applications. However, due to the intricate oceanic environment, certain work apparatus and components, particularly electrical connectors, are susceptible to varying degrees of corrosion. These corrosions can result in a substantial reduction in the service life of the workpieces [1]. Therefore, while ensuring maintainability of the electrical connector as a foundation, enhancing corrosion resistance can be achieved by applying a protective coating on the device’s surface. This effectively mitigates the losses caused by corrosion and oxidation behavior. It has been reported that nanostructure defects exist within electrolytic coatings [2]. The heat resistance exhibited by chromium nitride films prepared through vapor phase deposition surpasses that of films deposited via electroplating [3]. Nevertheless, growth defects such as excessive droplet formation and pore creation on vacuum-arc-evaporated films can diminish mechanical properties and corrosion resistance [4]. Plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering is widely preferred for surface modification of coatings among technicians working with metalworking due to its ability to meet the stringent requirements for coating surface quality on operational parts [5].
Transition metal nitride (TMN) coatings exhibit a wide range of application prospects in various fields, including mechanical key components [4,6], precision glass molding (PGM) [7,8], and cutting and casting tools [9,10,11], owing to their exceptional thermal stability and superior wear resistance. However, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of TMN coatings remain areas of focus for scholars, particularly in marine environments where corrosion resistance is a crucial parameter [12,13]. Among transition metal nitride coatings, CrN coatings stand out as potential ceramic films due to their high hardness, excellent chemical inertness, and corrosion resistance.
Several scientists have made efforts to enhance the toughness of CrN coatings by incorporating a third element, such as metallic elements like Ti, Al, Zr, V, and others [14,15,16]. Be-liardouh et al. asserted that the addition of Al in CrN coatings yields superior mechanical and tribological properties [17]. Kong et al. highlighted that AlN is susceptible to hydration reactions, which compromise the dense structure of CrAlN and diminish its corrosion resistance. On the other hand, CrTiN coatings exhibit enhanced hardness and wear resistance due to the solid solution effect and the formation of TiN particles [18].
In contrast, Pt-Ir elements exhibit exceptional corrosion resistance and superior chemical inertness, which are anticipated to enhance the corrosion resistance of CrN coatings. However, no previous studies have investigated the co-doping of Pt-Ir in CrN coatings, and there is a scarcity of research on the electrochemical and tribological properties of noble metal-doped nitride coatings, despite their significance in practical applications [19]. In this study, we discuss the microstructure and mechanical properties of the CrN-PtIr coating. Subsequently, we evaluate the influence of doping elements (Pt-Ir) on the electrochemical corrosion characteristics of CrN coatings in 3.5 wt % NaCl through open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements and potentiodynamic polarization tests to achieve excellent electrochemical performance for the CrN-PtIr coating.

2. Materials and Methods

These CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings were synthesized using plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS). The substrates selected for this experiment were 316 L austenitic steel and silicon wafers. Figure 1 illustrates the experimental setup. The chamber wall housed a Cr target (99.6%), while high-purity Pt (99.9%) and Ir (99.9%) disks were embedded within the Cr target to adjust the doped Pt-Ir content in the CrN–PtIr coating. Prior to coating deposition, the specimens underwent polishing with metallurgical sandpaper followed by ultrasonic washing in pure alcohol for 15 min. The vacuum chamber was then evacuated to a pressure of 5 × 10−3 Pa, and the substrates were heated to 300 °C. Before coating deposition, ion sputtering was performed on the specimens using argon gas at a bias voltage of 120 V and a flow rate of 140 sccm for a duration of 60 min. The Cr intermediate layer was deposited on the substrate under the following conditions: a Cr target power of 5000 W, an argon flow rate of 100 sccm, a sputtering time of 5 min, and a bias voltage of 100 V. The CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings were prepared in a gaseous mixture of nitrogen and argon with the following parameters: a bias voltage of 100 V, a nitrogen flow rate of 100 sccm, an argon flow rate of 100 sccm, a Cr target power of 5000 W, and a deposition time of 100 min.
The coatings were characterized for their crystal structure and phase structure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Zeiss Σ IGMA HD, Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany) and X-ray diffraction (XRD, X’ Pert Powder, PANalytical B.V., Almelo, the Netherlands), respectively. Additionally, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, Bruker, Karlsruhe, Germany) was employed to determine the composition of the coatings. The chemical state of each coating was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, ThermoFisher, KAlpha+, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA), with Al kα (hν = 1486.6 eV) as the X-ray source. Ar-ion sputtering at a rate of 0.5 nm/s was utilized to clean the coated surface. The binding energy values were calibrated against the C1s peak set at 289.50-ØSA eV [20]. Herein, ØSA represents the sample work function, and its value of 4.83 eV was chosen according to CrN’s work function in reference [21], which is also the main component of these films studied here. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM, FEI Titan Cubed Themis G2 300, ThermoFisher, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA) was employed for observing the microstructure of the coatings. The TEM specimen was prepared using a Ga focused-ion beam (FIB, 30 kV, Thermo Scientific Scios 2, ThermoFisher, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA) and an Omniprobe manipulator on the SEM microscope. Initially, the pieces were pre-cut from the bulk samples at a current of 7 nA. Subsequently, ion beam currents ranging from 0.5, 0.3, and 0.1 nA to 10 pA were sequentially employed to further mill the piece into electron-transparent slices with a thickness of 70 nm.
The surface roughness values of the coatings were evaluated using atomic-force microscopy (AFM, Oxford MFP-3DInfinity, Abingdon, UK). The scanning area for each image was set to 10 μm × 10 μm. Nanoindentation (Hystron TI950, Hystron, Minnesota, USA) was employed to assess the nano-mechanical properties of the coatings. To minimize errors caused by substrate effects, the hardness and Young’s modulus were measured at a depth equal to one-tenth of the coating thickness. For repeatability purposes, five tests were conducted on each sample. The film base bonding ability and fracture pattern of the coatings were examined through scratch testing (RTEC instruments, HST—200, AiRTX, San Francisco, CA, USA). A ball-on-disc tribometer (RTEC instruments, MFT—5000, Lanzhou Huahui Instrument Technology Co., Ltd., Lanzhou, China) with a Si3N4 friction pair having a diameter of 6 mm was utilized to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. Frictional wear experiments were carried out under specific conditions: applied load—2 N, sliding speed—300 rpm, radius—6 mm, time −1800 s. Three replicates were performed for repeatability purposes. Corrosion tests were conducted using an electrochemical station (CHI760e, Chenhua Instrument Corp., Shanghai, China). A NaCl solution with a concentration of 3.5 wt % served as the corrosive medium. The reference electrode (RE) used was a saturated calomel electrode (SCE), while a platinum plate acted as the counter electrode (CE), and the coated samples functioned as working electrodes (WEs). The scanning range spanned from −0.3 V to +1 V with a scanning rate of 1 mV/s. In order to obtain a more accurate and precise polarization curve, the potentiostatic polarization was initially conducted at a relative open-circuit potential of −0.2 V to eliminate the oxide film on the surface of the coating. Subsequently, an open-circuit potential test was performed, followed by stable polarization testing (with each potential change lasting no longer than 10 s and not exceeding 30 mV). The resulting polarization curve was obtained using a scanning rate of 1 mV/s. Corrosion resistance was evaluated based on potential (Ecorr) and current density (icorr). The corrosion potential (Ecorr) and corresponding current density (icorr) were determined through the Tafel estimation method from the potentiodynamic curves. The surface morphology of the samples after scratch, wear, and corrosion tests was observed using SEM.

3. Results and Discussion

Table 1 depicts the composition of the coating samples. The contents of the CrN coating are 46.62 at.% of Cr, and 53.38 at.% of N. The composition of the CrN-PtIr coating includes 42.17 at.% of Cr, 51.51 at.% of N, 2.84 at.% of Pt, and 3.48 at.% of Ir.
Figure 2 displays the XRD patterns of the CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings. The primary diffraction peaks of the CrN coating are observed at 36.9°, 43.2°, 62.7°, and 75.1°, corresponding to the crystal planes (111), (200), (220), and (311) of the CrN phases, respectively. The phase composition of the CrN-PtIr coating is similar to that of the CrN coating; however, it exhibits distinct Pt peaks at 39.5° and 67.1° as well as Ir peaks at 40.6° and 69.1° in its phase composition compared to the pure CrN coating alone, shown in Figure 2b. With the incorporation of PtIr elements, these (200) peaks noticeably shift towards a lower angle due to intense lattice expansion caused by doping with Pt-Ir atoms [22]. While clear polycrystalline growth is observed in the case of the CrN coating, significant selective orientation along the (200) plane is evident for the CrN-PtIr coating due to the effective refinement induced by PtIr doping.
Figure 3 shows the XPS results for the CrN-PtIr coating. As shown in Figure 3a, the Cr–N (574.6 eV) and Cr–O (577.4 eV) bound states were further identified in the Cr 2p1/2 spectrum [23], while the Cr-N (583.9 eV) and Cr–O (587.2 eV) bound states were further verified in the Cr 2p3/2 spectrum [8,24]. The binding energies at 396.8 eV are attributed to the Cr-N bond (Figure 3b) [25]. The binding energies at 71.4 eV (Pt 4f5/2) and 74.7 eV (Pt 4f7/2) are attributed to Pt (Figure 3c) [26,27]. In the Ir4f spectrum of Figure 3d, the binding energies locate at Ir 60.4 eV (Ir 4f5/2) and 63.5 eV (Ir 4f7/2), which is attributed to the metallic Ir [28,29].
Figure 4 shows the SEM surface and cross-sectional images of the deposited coatings. The CrN coating exhibits a disordered, loose, and coarse columnar crystal growth structure, with the surface showing oatmeal-like particles that are loosely distributed. Additionally, noticeable holes and cracks can be observed at the grain boundaries (see Figure 4a,b). In contrast, the CrN-PtIr coating demonstrates a continuous dense columnar growth texture in the cross-sectional SEM image shown in Figure 4c. Furthermore, as depicted in Figure 4d, the CrN-PtIr coating displays a smooth and compact surface morphology. The incorporation of Pt-Ir co-doping significantly contributes to refining the growth structure of the CrN coating.
Figure 5 shows cross-sectional TEM images with the corresponding SAED patterns of the as-deposited coatings. The TEM image in Figure 5a reveals a columnar crystal growth morphology, and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) map identifies a polycrystalline cubic structure with (111), (200), (220), and (311) reflections. Figure 5b,c show a typical coherence growth relationship between the CrN phases in HRTEM images. In Figure 5d, the CrN-PtIr coating also exhibits a columnar growth morphology, with selected regions of electron diffraction reflecting (111), (200), (220), and (311). Finally, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images in Figure 5e,f reveal that while coherent epitaxial growth of the CrN phase is present, there are numerous non-coherent growth regions.
Figure 6 presents the AFM images of all as-deposited coatings. Figure 6a illustrates that the CrN coating exhibits a relatively rough surface, characterized by a high Ra value of 3.06 nm. In contrast, the CrN-PtIr coating demonstrates an enhanced surface quality with a decreased Ra value of 1.72 nm (Figure 6b). The AFM results unequivocally validate that Pt-Ir co-doping significantly induces substantial modifications to the surface.
A nanoindentation system was used to measure the hardness (H), Young’s modulus (E), H/E ratio, and H3/E2 ratio of the deposited and annealed coatings, as shown in Figure 7. The CrN coating exhibited a hardness of 25.59 ± 1.22 GPa, a Young’s modulus of 310.5 ± 16 GPa, an H/E ratio of 0.0824, and an H3/E2 ratio of 0.1738. In contrast, the CrN-PtIr coating displayed reduced hardness at 20.48 ± 1.78 GPa, a Young’s modulus of 255.5 ± 14.6 GPa, an H/E ratio of 0.0802, and an H3/E2 ratio of 0.1316. It has been reported that higher H/E ratios correspond to increased resistance against elastic deformation [30,31], while higher H3/E2 ratios indicate enhanced resistance to wear and fatigue fracture [32]. The significant disruption in coherent epitaxial growth caused by Pt-Ir co-doping resulted in a notable reduction in the mechanical properties of the CrN coatings.
Figure 8 illustrates the SEM images of all as-deposited coating samples after the scratch test. In Figure 8a, slight breakage is observed at the edge of the CrN coating’s scratch trace, resulting in a few visible cracks. The magnified SEM image in Figure 8b reveals numerous parallel cracks within the scratches. The high-resolution SEM image in Figure 8c confirms unidirectional fracturing along these cracks. Conversely, during scratching, the CrN-PtIr coating exhibits severe weave fracture. As shown in Figure 8d, a significant number of cracks emerge within and extend beyond the scratch track due to rapid expansion. Magnification SEM images (Figure 8e,f) demonstrate extensive weave breakage with multiple reticulation cracks and substantial multidirectional fractures within the scratched areas. The addition of Pt-Ir alters the fracture pattern of the CrN coating from a unidirectional to a multidirectional fracture pattern, significantly reducing its fracture resistance.
Figure 9 shows the SEM images, cross-sectional profiles, friction coefficients, and wear rates at all wear marks. The CrN coating, as depicted in Figure 9a, exhibits a wear depth of 140 nm after undergoing wear. The wear marks on the CrN coating are smooth and uniform, with no cracks or adhesion observed on the surface of the sample according to the high-resolution SEM image. These characteristics indicate the excellent wear resistance of CrN (refer to Figure 9b). In contrast, as illustrated in Figure 9c, the CrN-PtIr coating demonstrates inferior anti-wear properties, with a wear depth of 177 nm and severe adhesive wear. Figure 9d reveals that the surface of the CrN-PtIr coating is characterized by numerous adhering abrasive chips resembling fish-like scales. Notably, during the wear process, slight debris adherence can be observed on the CrN coating while significant amounts of adherent debris are present both on the surface and within the cross-sectional profiles of the CrN-PtIr coating. Additionally, the friction curves shown in Figure 9e demonstrate relatively stable performance throughout the entire test for all coatings; however, the coefficient of friction reaches up to 0.76 for the CrN coating and is even higher at 0.83 for the CrN-PtIr coating. The volume wear rate is measured at approximately 0.33 ± 0.07 × 10−8 mm3·N−1m−1 for the CrN sample, whereas it increases to 0.55 ± 0.06 × 10−8 mm3·N−1m−1 for its counterpart containing the PtIr-alloyed layer—CrN-PtIr. It should be noted that actual values may underestimate measured rates due to debris adhesion.
Figure 10a displays the OCP curves for 1h of immersion, with potentials reaching equilibrium at ~−0.04 V and ~−0.22 V for the two samples, respectively, followed by the results of the dynamic point-scanning experiments. Figure 10b shows the polarization curves of the coatings and the corresponding statistics. The Ecorr and icorr of the CrN coating were −0.0048 V and 7.4288×10−8 A/cm2, respectively. In contrast, the CrN-PtIr coating showed better corrosion resistance, with a higher Ecorr of −0.2236 V and a lower icorr of 2.1226 × 10−7 A/cm2. When the current exceeds 0.8 V, the current increases significantly, which may be due to the oxidation reaction generated to slow down the corrosion process, thus increasing the potential. The corrosion rate of the CrN-PtIr sample is 8.70 × 10−4 mm/a, and the corrosion rate of the CrN sample is 2.48 × 10−3 mm/a. The corrosion rate of the CrN-PtIr coating is significantly lower than that of the CrN coating. The higher Ecorr and lower icorr characterize the superior corrosion resistance, and therefore the Pt-Ir co-doping improves the barrier of the coating to sinking corrosion fluids.
As shown in Figure 11a, the surface of the CrN coating was severely eroded during the corrosion process and corrosion pores can be clearly observed. In contrast, the surface of the CrN-PtIr coating is dense and no corrosion pores were produced (Figure 11b).
Compared to the CrN coating, the as-deposited CrN-PtIr coating exhibits enhanced surface quality and excellent corrosion resistance, which can be attributed to the structural modification caused by co-doping with Pt-Ir atoms. The XRD, XPS, and TEM characterization results reveal that the CrN coating possesses a typical cubic polycrystalline structure with a coherent growth pattern that promotes the preferential growth of large-sized grains and the formation of coarse particle surfaces. However, this coherent growth pattern also introduces growth defects in the coating, creating pathways for corrosive solutions to penetrate downward and reducing its corrosion resistance (see Figure 10a). Nevertheless, this coherent growth pattern enhances the inter-grain bonding strength, thereby improving the wear resistance and fracture toughness of the coating. The SEM images illustrate that scratch patterns on the CrN sample consist of parallel propagation cracks with unidirectional fracturing (see Figure 8b,c), while exhibiting a smooth wear pattern (see Figure 9b). On the other hand, co-doping with Pt-Ir significantly enhanced corrosion resistance in the CrN coating. XRD, XPS, and TEM analyses confirm that Pt-Ir doping exists as metal atoms within the CrN-PtIr sample, impeding free coherent grain growth tendencies. This inhibition leads to dense growth structures with suppressed formation of large-sized grains. The resulting dense surface effectively blocks the downward penetration of corrosive solutions, thus enhancing corrosion resistance (see Figure 10b). The HRTEM image in Figure 5f reveals that the local atomic incoherent growth induced by Pt-Ir co-doping inevitably compromises the structure’s ability to resist deformation and fatigue fracture, leading to decreased mechanical properties, as determined by the nanoindentation results. Similarly observed in the HRTEM image in Figure 5f is the local atomic incoherent growth induced by Pt-Ir. The working environment of the film is the electrical connector in the ocean. In this application, the corrosion damage to the electrical connector surpasses that caused by friction and scratches. Therefore, employing a CrN-PtIr coating on electrical connectors in marine environments would be more advantageous.

4. Conclusions

The present study investigated the impact of Pt-Ir co-doping on the structural, mechanical, tribological, and corrosion-resistant properties of CrN coatings. The coatings exhibit coarse particle surfaces and possess excellent mechanical characteristics attributed to the typical coherent growth pattern observed in CrN coatings. However, these coatings demonstrate poor corrosion resistance due to growth defects that allow for fluid penetration during corrosion. In contrast, effective disruption of the coherent growth pattern of CrN is achieved through Pt-Ir co-doping in the CrN-PtIr coating, resulting in a dense surface that effectively prevents downward fluid penetration during corrosion. Moreover, localized areas with incoherent growth weaken the bond strength of the coating’s structure and consequently lead to a decline in its mechanical performance. Notably, scratch testing reveals a web-like multidirectional fracture pattern in the CrN-PtIr coating, while wear testing demonstrates severe damage.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: F.Y. and W.Z.; Methodology: D.Y., writing—original draft, D.Y. and W.Z.; writing—review and editing, F.Y. and Z.X. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Project of China (52171076); the National Natural Science Foundation “Ye Qisun” Science Foundation project (U2341272); the Innovative Training Program for university students at the University of Science and Technology, Liaoning (202310146024).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the Institute of Electron Microscope Center of Shenzhen University for their TEM technical supports.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

  1. Hannel, S.; Fouvry, S.; Kapsa, P.; Vincent, L. The fretting sliding transition as a criterion for electrical contact performance. Wear 2001, 249, 761–770. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Moshtaghi, M.; Safyari, M.; Mori, G. Hydrogen absorption rate and hydrogen diffusion in a ferritic steel coated with a micro- or nanostructured ZnNi coating. Electrochem. Commun. 2022, 134, 107169. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Kusaka, K.; Shirasaka, K.; Yonekura, D.; Tanaka, Y. Residual stress measurement of {112}-oriented CrN layers in CrN/Cr multilayer films. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 2019, 37, 062919. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Wang, Y.H.; Yang, Z.B.; Hu, S.Y.; Zhao, Y.H.; Ren, H.; Gong, F.; Xie, Z.W. Tailoring growth structure, wear and corrosion properties of TiN coatings via gradient bias and arc enhanced glow discharge. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2022, 450, 129015. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Lin, J.; Wei, R. A comparative study of thick TiSiCN nanocomposite coatings deposited by dcMS and HiPIMS with and without PEMS assistance. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2018, 338, 84–95. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Wang, Y.; Li, J.; Dang, C.; Wang, Y.; Zhu, Y. Influence of carbon contents on the structure and tribocorrosion properties of TiSiCN coatings on Ti6Al4V. Tribol. Int. 2017, 109, 285–296. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Li, K.; Xu, G.; Huang, X.; Chen, Q.; Xie, Z.; Gong, F. Surface evolution analysis of CrxWyNz coatings on WC mold in glass molding process. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2020, 393, 125839. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Huang, X.; Xie, Z.; Li, K.; Chen, Q.; Gong, F.; Chen, Y.; Feng, B.; Chen, Y.; Wan, Y. Effect of annealing environment on the microstructure and mechanical property of CrWN glass molding coating. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2020, 383, 125281. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Yan, Z.; Jiang, D.; Gao, X.; Hu, M.; Wang, D.; Fu, Y.; Sun, J.; Feng, D.; Weng, L. Friction and wear behavior of TiN films against ceramic and steel balls. Tribol. Int. 2018, 124, 61–69. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Bar-Hen, M.; Etsion, I. Experimental study of the effect of coating thickness and substrate roughness on tool wear during turning. Tribol. Int. 2017, 110, 341–347. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Chu, K.; Shum, P.W.; Shen, Y.G. Substrate bias effects on mechanical and tribological properties of substitutional solid solution (Ti, Al)N films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 2006, 131, 62–71. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  12. Guan, X.; Zhao, M.; Shi, H.; Wang, Y.; Wang, Z.; Cheng, Y.; Liu, M. CrZrN/ZrN multilayer coatings on 316L stainless steel towards anticorrosion application. Thin Solid Film. 2022, 755, 139330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  13. Maksakova, O.V.; Simoẽs, S.; Pogrebnjak, A.D.; Bondar, O.V.; Kravchenko, Y.O.; Koltunowicz, T.N.; Shaimardanov, Z.K. Multilayered ZrN/CrN coatings with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties. J. Alloys Compd. 2019, 776, 679–690. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  14. Wang, Q.; Zhou, F.; Yan, J. Evaluating mechanical properties and crack resistance of CrN, CrTiN, CrAlN and CrTiAlN coatings by nanoindentation and scratch tests. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2016, 285, 203–213. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  15. Panjan, P.; Drnovšek, A.; Kovač, J.; Gselman, P.; Bončina, T.; Paskvale, S.; Čekada, M.; Kek Merl, D.; Panjan, M. Oxidation resistance of CrN/(Cr,V)N hard coatings deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. Thin Solid Films 2015, 591, 323–329. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Fu, Y.; Zhou, F.; Zhang, M. The enhancement of individual friction and corrosion properties of CrSiN coatings by Mo doping in seawater. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2022, 432, 128069. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Beliardouh, N.E.; Bouzid, K.; Nouveau, C.; Tlili, B.; Walock, M.J. Tribological and electrochemical performances of Cr/CrN and Cr/CrN/CrAlN multilayer coatings deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. Tribol. Int. 2015, 82, 443–452. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Kong, J.-Z.; Hou, T.-J.; Wang, Q.-Z.; Yin, L.; Zhou, F.; Zhou, Z.-F.; Li, L.K.-Y. Influence of titanium or aluminum doping on the electrochemical properties of CrN coatings in artificial seawater. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2016, 307, 118–124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Wang, Q.; Zhou, F.; Zhou, Z.; Wang, C.; Zhang, W.; Li, L.K.-Y.; Lee, S.-T. Effect of titanium or chromium content on the electrochemical properties of amorphous carbon coatings in simulated body fluid. Electrochim. Acta 2013, 112, 603–611. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Greczynski, G.; Hultman, L. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Towards reliable binding energy referencing. Prog. Mater. Sci. 2020, 107, 100591. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Greczynski, G.; Hultman, L. Reliable determination of chemical state in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy based on sample-work-function referencing to adventitious carbon: Resolving the myth of apparent constant binding energy of the C 1s peak. Appl. Surf. Sci. 2018, 451, 99–103. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  22. Lin, C.-H.; Duh, J.-G.; Yau, B.-S. Processing of chromium tungsten nitride hard coatings for glass molding. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2006, 201, 1316–1322. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  23. Jianjun, W.; Qunji, X. Effects of synthetic additives on the friction and wear properties of a Cr2O3 coating. Wear 1994, 176, 213–216. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. Iqbal, S.; Younas, M.; ul Hassan, M.; Ryu, H.J.; Anjum, M.A.R.; Farhan, M.A.; Nadeem, M.; Yun, J.-I. Electronic, electrical and dielectric analysis of Cr-doped hydroxyapatite. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2021, 771, 138507. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  25. Lippitz, A.; Hübert, T. XPS investigations of chromium nitride thin films. Surf. Coat. Technol. 2005, 200, 250–253. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  26. Schwämmlein, J.N.; Torres, P.A.L.; Gasteiger, H.A.; El-Sayed, H.A. Direct PtSn Alloy Formation by Pt Electrodeposition on Sn Surface. Sci. Rep. 2020, 10, 59. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Siri, G.J.; Ramallo-López, J.M.; Casella, M.L.; Fierro, J.L.G.; Requejo, F.G.; Ferretti, O.A. XPS and EXAFS study of supported PtSn catalysts obtained by surface organometallic chemistry on metals: Application to the isobutane dehydrogenation. Appl. Catal. A Gen. 2005, 278, 239–249. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Polat, O.; Caglar, M.; Coskun, F.M.; Coskun, M.; Caglar, Y.; Turut, A. An investigation of the optical properties of YbFe1-xIrxO3-δ (x = 0, 0.01 and 0.10) orthoferrite films. Vacuum 2020, 173, 109124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Feng, C.; Huang, X.; Li, K.; Dong, K.; Gao, X.; Wei, G.; Gong, F. Tailoring growth structure and oxidation performance of CrWN glass molding coating via Pt and Ir doping. Ceram. Int. 2022, 48, 10574–10578. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Guo, J.; Peng, Y.; Yang, X.; Gao, C.; Wang, S. Combination process of limited filamentous bulking and nitrogen removal via nitrite for enhancing nitrogen removal and reducing aeration requirements. Chemosphere 2013, 91, 68–75. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Li, Z.; Wang, Y.; Cheng, X.; Zeng, Z.; Li, J.; Lu, X.; Wang, L.; Xue, Q. Continuously Growing Ultrathick CrN Coating to Achieve High Load-Bearing Capacity and Good Tribological Property. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2018, 10, 2965–2975. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  32. Dang, C.; Li, J.; Wang, Y.; Chen, J. Structure, mechanical and tribological properties of self-toughening TiSiN/Ag multilayer coatings on Ti6Al4V prepared by arc ion plating. Appl. Surf. Sci. 2016, 386, 224–233. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Figure 1. Diagram of the experimental procedure.
Figure 1. Diagram of the experimental procedure.
Coatings 14 00238 g001
Figure 2. XRD patterns of the CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings. (a) 20°–90°; (b) 34°–46°.
Figure 2. XRD patterns of the CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings. (a) 20°–90°; (b) 34°–46°.
Coatings 14 00238 g002
Figure 3. XPS results for the CrN-PtIr coating: (a) Cr 2p, (b) N 1s, (c) Pt 4f, (d) Ir 4f.
Figure 3. XPS results for the CrN-PtIr coating: (a) Cr 2p, (b) N 1s, (c) Pt 4f, (d) Ir 4f.
Coatings 14 00238 g003
Figure 4. Surface and cross-sectional SEM images of the as-deposited coatings: (a,b) CrN; (c,d) CrN-Pt.
Figure 4. Surface and cross-sectional SEM images of the as-deposited coatings: (a,b) CrN; (c,d) CrN-Pt.
Coatings 14 00238 g004
Figure 5. Cross-sectional TEM images with corresponding SAED patterns of the as-deposited coatings: (ac) CrN; (df) CrN−PtIr.
Figure 5. Cross-sectional TEM images with corresponding SAED patterns of the as-deposited coatings: (ac) CrN; (df) CrN−PtIr.
Coatings 14 00238 g005
Figure 6. AFM images of all as-deposited coatings: (a) CrN; (b) CrN−PtIr.
Figure 6. AFM images of all as-deposited coatings: (a) CrN; (b) CrN−PtIr.
Coatings 14 00238 g006
Figure 7. Hardness, Young’s modulus, H/E ratio, and H3/E2 ratio of the as-deposited CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings.
Figure 7. Hardness, Young’s modulus, H/E ratio, and H3/E2 ratio of the as-deposited CrN and CrN-PtIr coatings.
Coatings 14 00238 g007
Figure 8. Scratch morphology of all as-deposited coatings: (ac) CrN; (df) CrN-PtIr.
Figure 8. Scratch morphology of all as-deposited coatings: (ac) CrN; (df) CrN-PtIr.
Coatings 14 00238 g008
Figure 9. SEM cross-sectional profiles and wear track images of the coating samples: (a,b) CrN; (c,d) CrN−PtIr; (e) friction curves; (f) wear rate.
Figure 9. SEM cross-sectional profiles and wear track images of the coating samples: (a,b) CrN; (c,d) CrN−PtIr; (e) friction curves; (f) wear rate.
Coatings 14 00238 g009
Figure 10. OCP (a) and polarization curves (b) of the CrN and CrN−PtIr coatings.
Figure 10. OCP (a) and polarization curves (b) of the CrN and CrN−PtIr coatings.
Coatings 14 00238 g010
Figure 11. Surface morphology of all samples after the corrosion test: (a) CrN, (b) CrN-PtIr.
Figure 11. Surface morphology of all samples after the corrosion test: (a) CrN, (b) CrN-PtIr.
Coatings 14 00238 g011
Table 1. Chemical compositions of the as-deposited coatings.
Table 1. Chemical compositions of the as-deposited coatings.
SampleCr at.%N at.%Pt at.%Ir at.%
CrN46.6253.38--
CrN-PtIr42.1751.512.843.48
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Yang, D.; Yan, F.; Zhang, W.; Xie, Z. Microstructure, Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of CrN Coating with Platinum-Iridium Co-Doping. Coatings 2024, 14, 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020238

AMA Style

Yang D, Yan F, Zhang W, Xie Z. Microstructure, Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of CrN Coating with Platinum-Iridium Co-Doping. Coatings. 2024; 14(2):238. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020238

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yang, Di, Feng Yan, Weilun Zhang, and Zhiwen Xie. 2024. "Microstructure, Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of CrN Coating with Platinum-Iridium Co-Doping" Coatings 14, no. 2: 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020238

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop