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Article

The Effect of Cr Cathode Arc Current on the Wear Resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N Coatings on 7050 Aluminum Alloy

by
Peiyu He
1,
Tao He
1,*,
Xiangyang Du
1,
Alexey Vereschaka
2,
Catherine Sotova
3,
Jian Li
1,
Yang Ding
1,
Kang Chen
1 and
Yuqi Wang
1
1
School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201600, China
2
Institute of Design and Technological Informatics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia
3
Department of High-Efficiency Machining Technologies, Moscow State University of Technology “STANKIN”, Moscow 127055, Russia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 1082; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091082
Submission received: 12 August 2025 / Revised: 3 September 2025 / Accepted: 15 September 2025 / Published: 15 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Wear and Friction Mechanisms in Tribological Coatings and Surface Textures)
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Versions Notes

Abstract

The application of 7050 aluminum alloy in high-friction environments is limited due to its insufficient surface wear resistance. This study aims to enhance its wear resistance by depositing Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N multilayer composite coatings using filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition (FCVAD) technology under different Cr cathode arc currents (65A, 85A, 105A, 125A). Coatings were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, nanoindentation, and reciprocating wear testing. Results show that increasing arc current from 65 A to 125 A led to grain coarsening, reduced Zr content, and increased Cr-rich microdroplets. Nanoindentation results indicated that the coating prepared under a 65 A current exhibited the best hardness (13.03 GPa) and elastic modulus (242.87 GPa), which is mainly attributed to the formation of fine grains and fewer surface defects under low current conditions. Reciprocating wear tests showed that the wear resistance of all coating samples was superior to that of the uncoated 7050 aluminum alloy substrate. At an arc current of 85 A, the best wear resistance was observed, combining a low wear rate (5.31 × 10−5 mm3) with good mechanical strength (hardness of 8.54 GPa). This study revealed the regulatory mechanism of Cr cathode arc current on the microstructure and performance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N multi-layer composite coatings, providing a theoretical basis and experimental support for optimizing coating process parameters to enhance the wear resistance of aluminum alloy surfaces.

1. Introduction

7050 alloy is a typical high-strength aluminum alloy in the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu series [1]. Due to its high specific strength, suitable thermal conductivity, strong corrosion resistance, and excellent machinability, it has been widely applied in the aerospace manufacturing industry [2,3,4]. This alloy is commonly used in aircraft fuselage frames, bulkheads, and high-load connection points, while its thin sheets are primarily used in critical areas such as wing skins [5]. However, in engineering applications, aluminum alloy parts inevitably undergo friction and wear [6]. Therefore, to extend their service life, enhancing the wear resistance of aluminum alloys has become an important area of research. Researchers have introduced dislocations and grain refinement through processes such as the addition of trace alloying components [7], aging heat treatment [8], and severe plastic deformation [9], resulting in ultra-fine-grained aluminum alloys that enhance mechanical properties and wear resistance [10,11]. Additionally, recent studies have shown that depositing coatings on the surface of aluminum alloys can improve their performance, such as high-entropy alloy coatings, nano-structured multi-layer composite coatings, and multi-component nitride coatings [12,13,14]. C. Muñoz et al. [15] used the HVOF process to deposit a WC-Co coating on the surface of 7050 aluminum alloy, and the results showed that the coating improved the wear resistance and corrosion resistance. N. Krishnamurthy et al. [16] used atmospheric plasma spraying technology to prepare an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and yttria-stabilized zirconia composite (YSZ) coating with equal proportions on Al-6061, improving the wear resistance of the aluminum alloy. These studies indicate that rational design of coating structure and composition is an effective approach to enhancing the surface performance of aluminum alloys.
Compared to traditional two component nitrides (such as CrN and ZrN), multi-component nitride coatings typically incorporate two or more metallic elements with nitrogen to form stable solid solutions or amorphous structures. Due to the altered structural arrangement of multi-component coatings, they may contain different types of crystalline and amorphous phases, thereby achieving noticeable improvements in mechanical properties and wear resistance [17,18,19,20]. In such coating systems, the introduction of Cr plays a crucial role in enhancing the performance of the coating. On one hand, Cr possesses high hardness and thermal stability, enabling it to form stable NaCl-type B1 cubic crystal structures with elements such as Zr and Al, improving the phase stability and density of the coating while promoting grain refinement, thereby enhancing the coating’s hardness and toughness. Appropriate Cr doping can effectively suppress the formation of coarse columnar crystals, enhance coating hardness, and improve structural uniformity [21]. On the other hand, Cr exhibits increased oxidation resistance in high-temperature friction environments. It forms a stable and dense Cr2O3 protective layer on the coating surface, reducing oxygen diffusion rates and interfacial friction coefficients, effectively inhibiting crack propagation and oxidative wear, and delaying the coating’s failure process. In operating environments of 600–800°C, multi-component coatings containing Cr exhibit lower friction coefficients and stronger resistance to peeling [22].
In addition to the composition of multi-component nitride coatings, the deposition methods and process parameters also play a crucial role [23]. In recent years, the filtered cathode vacuum arc deposition (FCVAD) technique has emerged as a key method for preparing nano-structured multi-component coatings due to its ability to suppress microdroplet defects, enhance deposition uniformity, and improve structural integrity. Compared with traditional PVD techniques, FCVAD effectively removes microdroplet phases through a multi-stage magnetic field filtering system, significantly reducing the number of microstructural defects in the coating, and can prepare coatings with controllable nanolayer thicknesses ranging from 1 nm. It can also construct multi-component high-entropy coatings with dense, few microdroplets, and microporous structures, effectively enhancing the mechanical properties and service life of the coating [24]. Among other things, how changes in FCVAD process parameters affect the microstructure and performance of coatings have become current research hotspots. A. Vereschaka et al. [25] prepared (Ti, Y, Al)N coatings under different yttrium cathode arc currents and studied the effect of current changes on the yttrium content in the coatings. The results indicated that changes in yttrium content significantly influence the microstructure and wear resistance of the coatings. In FCVAD technology, cathode arc current is a critical process parameter affecting the quality and performance of the coating. Changes in current influence the surface morphology, microstructure, and defect distribution of the coating, thereby affecting its mechanical and tribological behavior. However, systematic research and mechanism exploration on the wear resistance of multi-component nitride coatings prepared on aluminum alloy surfaces using FCVAD technology remain limited. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further studies to explore its potential in surface strengthening of aluminum alloys.
This study employed FCVAD technology to deposit Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N coatings on the surface of 7050 aluminum alloy. By regulating the Cr cathode arc current (65–125 A), the effects of this parameter on the microstructure and properties of the coatings were investigated. The phase structure and microstructure of the coatings were characterized using XRD and SEM/EDS techniques. Combined with nanoindentation and reciprocating wear tests, the mechanical properties and wear behavior of the coatings were thoroughly investigated. The study aims to reveal the influence of Cr cathode arc current on the microstructure of the coating and the mechanism of performance regulation, providing a theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the process optimization of surface strengthening coatings for aluminum alloys.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Coating Deposition

The substrate used in this study was a cast 7050 aluminum alloy disc (diameter 28 mm × thickness 3 mm). Prior to coating deposition, all substrates were first ultrasonically cleaned in highly purified alcohol, then rinsed in pure flowing water, dried in a hot pure air stream, and finally placed in a vacuum chamber for evacuation before undergoing glow discharge plasma ion cleaning. To ensure a high level of cleanliness in the deposition environment, the vacuum chamber, equipment, and samples are preheated and degassed prior to the process. The degassing process was conducted under vacuum conditions for 30–40 min. Simultaneously, the vacuum chamber was purged with argon (99.987%) and nitrogen (99.6%) to ensure a stable atmosphere during deposition.
Multilayer composite coatings were deposited using a VIT-2 PVD system (IDTI RAS-MSTU STANKIN, Moscow, Russia), integrating two deposition technologies:
•
Filtered Cathodic Vacuum Arc Deposition (FCVAD) for Al (purity: 99.5%), aimed at reducing macroparticles and refining grain structure.
•
Controlled Accelerated Arc PVD (CAA-PVD) for Zr (99.98%) and Cr (99.99%) targets, enabling precise control of plasma energy and coating structure.
The coating architecture consisted of a Cr adhesion layer, followed by a (Zr,Cr)N interlayer, and capped with a (Zr,Cr,Al)N top layer. The Cr adhesion layer forms a ductile and adhesive transition between the hard coating and the substrate [26]. The intermediate (Zr,Cr)N layer provides a hard and tough barrier for enhanced wear resistance, while the top (Zr,Cr,Al)N layer incorporates Al to improve oxidation resistance and sustain surface hardness. The deposition process was carried out at a substrate temperature of 300–350 °C. During the initial pumping stage, argon gas was introduced, followed by pumping to the target vacuum level, after which the gas was switched to nitrogen, with residual gas pressure continuously monitored. Other process parameters were set as follows: nitrogen pressure 0.42 Pa, substrate bias voltage –150 V, sample stage rotation speed 0.7 rpm.
The arc current range for the Cr cathode was set between 65 and 125 A. The arc currents for the Zr and Al cathodes were kept constant at 65 and 160 A, respectively, across all samples. The coatings were named Cr65, Cr85, Cr105, and Cr125 based on the arc current of the Cr cathode.

2.2. Applied Testing

A scanning electron microscope (SEM, ZEISS EVO 18, ZEISS, Changchun, China) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS, X-Max20, Oxford Instruments, Oxfordshire, UK) was used to observe the surface morphology of the samples and perform elemental analysis. Phase analysis was performed using an X-ray diffractometer (D8 Advance XRD, Bruker, Karlsruhe, Germany), employing a Cu Kα radiation source (λ = 0.15405 nm), with an operating voltage of 40 kV and a current of 40 mA. The scanning range was 2θ = 20–90°, with a step size of 0.02° and a scanning rate of 4°/min.
The hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings were tested using a nanoindenter equipped with a Berkovich indenter (CPX NHT 2, Anton Paar, Graz, Austria). During the indentation process, the maximum load was set to 5 × 10−3 N, with a loading rate of approximately 0.2–0.3 × 10−3 N/s, corresponding to a loading time of approximately 20–25 s. Five test points were selected for each sample, and the average value was taken as the final representative result. Tribological properties were evaluated using the CSM Tribometer (Anton Paar, Neuchâtel, Switzerland) and the UMT 5 (Bruker, Billerica, MA, USA) friction and wear testing systems. The experiments were conducted using a reciprocating sliding mode with a normal load of 5 × 10−3 N, a single-stroke sliding distance of 5 mm, a sliding frequency of 3 Hz, a total of 5400 cycles, and a test duration of 30 min. Considering the soft aluminum substrate and relatively thin coating thickness, a lower load was selected to ensure that the tribological response primarily reflects the behavior of the coating, minimizing interference from the substrate. The wear volume V was measured by three-dimensional topography reconstruction using a white light interferometer. The wear rate was calculated using Archard’s wear law (Equation (1)) [27]:
W = V F · d
where V is wear volume (mm3), F is the normal load (N) and d is the total sliding distance (m).

3. Results

3.1. Microstructure

Figure 1 shows the SEM surface of the Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N coatings deposited under cathode arc currents of 65–125 A. It can be observed that changes in the cathode arc current affect the surface morphology of the coatings. When the arc current is 65 A, the coating surface has fewer microdroplets, with particle sizes primarily concentrated below 3 μm (Figure 1a), and small craters are visible in localized areas. When the current is increased to 85 A, the coating surface undergoes noticeable changes, becoming denser and uniform. The number and size of microdroplets both increased, with a large number of particles with diameters of 3–5 μm appearing (Figure 1b). At this point, the number of craters does not increase noticeably. Further increasing the arc current to 105 A, the surface roughness of the coating intensifies, with a further increase in the number of coarse particles (Figure 1c), accompanied by more irregular microdroplets and craters with diameters of approximately 1–2 μm. These craters are primarily formed by liquid cathode droplets adhering to the surface during deposition, followed by re-sputtering or mechanical peeling [28]. When the arc current was increased to 125 A, the number of microdroplets did not show a noticeable increase (Figure 1d), indicating that as the arc current increased, larger particles were deposited on the chamber walls and mold components rather than the sample surface [25]. Meanwhile, more circular craters appear on the surface, left behind by the peeling of larger microdroplets. This phenomenon reflects that as the arc current increases, the elevated temperature and energy of the cathode point enhance the ejection volume and size of metal microdroplets, leading to the formation of coarse particles and crater defects on the surface.
Figure 2 shows SEM images of the coating surfaces deposited under different Cr cathode arc current conditions, along with corresponding EDS surface scan distribution maps of Zr and Cr elements in the respective regions. In the 65 A coating samples, Zr elements are primarily enriched in the micro-particles on the surface, with only a small number of coarse particles enriched in Cr elements visible in localized areas (indicated by the dashed line in Figure 2a). When the current was increased to 85 A, the element distribution in the coating became relatively uniform, with some particles showing obvious Cr enrichment (dashed line in Figure 2b). When the arc current was further increased to 105 A, the element distribution in the surface micro-regions showed that most particles were rich in Cr (dashed line in Figure 2c), while Zr was unevenly distributed and present in smaller particles. When the current was further increased to 125 A, although some coarse particles remained on the surface, the number, size, and surface element distribution of the particles did not change a lot compared to the 105 A sample (Figure 2d). Therefore, as the arc current increases, more coarse particles dominated by Cr appear on the coating surface, and the element distribution gradually becomes more uneven.
Figure 3 shows the EDS spectra of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N coatings prepared under different Cr cathode arc current conditions. It can be observed that under low current conditions, the peak intensity of Zr is apparently higher than that of Cr, indicating a higher relative content of Zr in the coating at this stage (Figure 3a,b). As the arc current increases, the intensity of the Cr element peak gradually increases, particularly in the Cr105 and Cr125 samples (Figure 3c,d), indicating that the Cr content in the coating gradually increases. Table 1 shows the atomic percentages (at.%) of the main elements in each sample, further verifying the aforementioned trend. The data show that the content of N and Al elements remains relatively stable across all samples, while the Cr element content increases continuously from 24.63 at.% in the Cr65 sample to 35.95 at.% in the Cr125 sample. Meanwhile, the Zr content shows a decreasing trend, dropping from 23.83 at.% to 14.36 at.%. This inverse change indicates that under high current conditions, the evaporation rate of the Cr cathode and plasma density increase, resulting in Cr atoms having higher arrival rates and deposition fluxes than Zr atoms during the deposition process, thereby gaining an advantage in the competitive deposition mechanism [29]. Additionally, Cr atoms have a smaller mass and faster migration rate, making them more prone to surface diffusion and filling interstitial gaps under high-energy ion bombardment, further promoting Cr enrichment in the coating [30].
Figure 4 shows the XRD diffraction patterns of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N coatings prepared under different Cr cathode arc currents (65–125 A). All samples exhibit characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to the NaCl-type face-centered cubic structure, primarily corresponding to the (111), (200), and (220) crystal planes, which, respectively, correspond to the characteristic peaks of CrN (PDF#97-003-7412) and ZrN (PDF#97-064-4881), indicating that the coatings are primarily composed of cubic-structured solid solutions. No independent diffraction peaks for AlN were observed, suggesting that Al elements are doped into the fcc ZrN/CrN lattice in a solid solution state, making it impossible to detect the hexagonal AlN phase [17,31].
As the Cr cathode arc current increases, the (111) and (200) diffraction peaks exhibit slight shifts, particularly under low to moderate current conditions (65–105 A), with the main peaks shifting toward lower angles. This can be attributed to lattice expansion effects caused by partial replacement of Cr atoms by Zr and Al atoms in the face-centered cubic solid solution [32,33]. Among these, Zr atoms have a larger atomic radius (1.60 Å) compared to Al atoms (1.43 Å) and Cr atoms (1.18 Å). The doping of larger atoms increases the interplanar spacing, causing the XRD main peak to shift toward lower angles [21]. At 65 A and 85 A, the diffraction peaks are weak and broad. As the current increases to 105 A, the peak intensity increases, and the peak shape narrows. However, at 125 A, although the peak intensity remains high, some peaks exhibit shoulder peaks and broadening, indicating the possible presence of a nano-composite structure with coexisting grains and an amorphous matrix, or strain regions caused by interface stress [34]. Additionally, the preferred orientation also changes with variations in the Cr cathode arc current. At low currents, the ZrN (111) diffraction peak dominates, indicating that crystal growth preferentially occurs along the (111) orientation, which minimizes surface energy. However, when the arc current increases to 105 A and 125 A, the relative intensity of the CrN (200) peak increases. This orientation transition from (111) to (200) can be attributed to the enhanced ion bombardment and compressive stress induced by high-energy Cr plasma. Under these energetic conditions, (200) oriented grains, which exhibit lower strain energy and greater resistance to bombardment-induced stress, become thermodynamically favored during growth. This further supports the solid solution mechanism, in which Cr atoms replace Zr atoms in the lattice under high current conditions, leading to lattice distortion and enhanced mechanical properties through solid solution strengthening [35].

3.2. Micro-Mechanical Properties of the Coatings

Figure 5a shows the microhardness and elastic modulus of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N coatings deposited under different Cr cathode arc currents. Figure 5b further provides the corresponding H/E and H3/E2 ratios. The H/E ratio reflects the elastic strain tolerance of the coating, while H3/E2 can be used to evaluate the material’s resistance to plastic deformation and wear resistance [36].
As shown in Figure 5a, the hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings decrease as the cathode arc current increases from 65 A to 125 A. The 65 A sample exhibits the highest hardness (13.03 GPa) and elastic modulus (242.87 GPa). As the current increases to 85 A, the Cr content further increases, the Zr content slightly decreases, and the number and size of micro-particles on the coating surface increase, while maintaining high mechanical properties, with hardness and elastic modulus of 8.54 GPa and 174.86 GPa, respectively. However, when the current was further increased to 105 A and 125 A, the hardness and elastic modulus of the coating decreased to 4.01 and 3.48 GPa, and 83.21 and 56.22 GPa, respectively. This performance degradation can be attributed to the further coarsening of grains, increased surface roughness, and coating non-uniformity under the influence of increased current. It is worth noting that while high current enhances the ion bombardment effect, which helps improve coating density and internal stress under a bias voltage of −150 V, it also causes an increase in substrate temperature, leading to grain growth in the coating and weakening the hardness enhancement mechanism [37]. Additionally, the enrichment of large particles formed due to increased current density further disrupts the structural continuity of the coating, contributing to the decline in mechanical properties.
The changes in the H/E and H3/E2 ratios in Figure 5b further confirm the aforementioned trend. Both the 65 A and 85 A samples exhibit high H/E and H3/E2 ratios, indicating that these two coating groups possess excellent comprehensive performance in resisting elastic strain and plastic deformation, with high toughness and wear resistance [38]. In contrast, the two ratios for the 105 A and 125 A samples are both lower. This is due to a combination of factors: a decrease in grain boundary density caused by grain coarsening, a reduction in the proportion of multi-phase structures leading to a decline in interface strengthening effects, a weakening of dislocation obstruction caused by the release of residual stress and again by grain coarsening, and adverse structural changes triggered by particle enrichment and uneven coating deposition under high deposition energy conditions [39].

3.3. The Wear Resistance of Coatings

Figure 6 shows the trend of the coefficient of friction (COF) of the coatings as a function of time under different cathode arc currents. All samples underwent a typical break-in process in the initial stage, characterized by a rapid increase in the coefficient of friction. As the break-in process concluded, the coefficient of friction stabilized. During the stable phase (5 to 30 min), the Cr125 coating exhibited the lowest average coefficient of friction (approximately 0.41), followed by Cr105 (approximately 0.43), Cr85 (approximately 0.48), and Cr65 (approximately 0.49). These results indicate that the COF of the coatings decreases gradually with increasing Cr cathode current. This trend is mainly attributed to the increase in the proportion of CrN phase in the coating (as determined by XRD analysis). Chromium nitride exhibits low friction characteristics and excellent self-passivation ability, which helps reduce interfacial shear resistance. A similar mechanism has been reported in CrN/CrAlN multilayer coatings, where an increase in CrN content leads to a decrease in COF at high temperatures [40]. Previous studies have shown that Cr-containing multi-component nitride coatings undergo friction-induced chemical reactions to form low-friction oxide films, which then act as solid lubricants at the contact interface, reducing interfacial shear stress [41]. It is worth noting that the COF of the Cr65 and Cr85 samples is slightly higher than that of the uncoated 7050 aluminum alloy (approximately 0.45), mainly due to their location in the Hall–Petch peak zone during friction, resulting in higher interfacial shear strength and consequently a higher steady-state COF [42].
Figure 7 shows the three-dimensional wear scar morphology and two-dimensional wear contour of the coating under different arc currents. As shown in Figure 7a,b, the uncoated 7050 aluminum alloy substrate exhibits the deepest wear marks, with cross-sectional curves clearly indicating extensive material removal, indicating severe plastic deformation and material loss under friction. In contrast, the deposited coating samples exhibit reduced wear mark depths and exhibit micro-plowing wear. This mechanism typically occurs when higher contact stresses cause cutting-like advancement on the surface, forming parallel or intersecting groove structures in the surface material. Unlike large-area peeling or micro-cutting, micro-plowing tends to induce plastic deformation accompanied by material accumulation on the surface rather than completely removing material volume [43]. Figure 7c–j show that as the Cr cathode current increases, the wear morphology of the coating surface undergoes noticeable changes. The Cr85 sample surface exhibits grooves < 10 μm in depth, indicating that it primarily undergoes mild plastic wear dominated by micro-plowing. Micro-plowing effectively avoids large-scale material peeling, keeping wear volume at a low level. When the surface exhibits good toughness, a high H/E ratio, and a dense fine-grained structure, the material is more likely to undergo micro-plowing rather than severe wear, thereby enhancing wear resistance. This aligns with the views proposed by R. Manikandan et al. [44].
Table 2 presents the wear volume and wear rate of coatings deposited under different cathode arc currents using a reciprocating wear test. As shown in Table 2, the Cr85 coating exhibits the smallest wear volume and a relatively low wear rate (9.55 × 10−4 mm3, 5.31 × 10−5 mm3/N∙m). Cr65 and Cr105 exhibit similar wear rates and wear volumes, both outperforming the uncoated aluminum substrate but slightly inferior to Cr85. Although Cr125 has the lowest wear rate (4.08 × 10−5 mm3/N·m), its wear volume is relatively large (7.33 × 10−3 mm3), which is attributed to its lower hardness.

4. Discussion

To investigate the effects of different Cr cathode arc currents on the microstructure and wear resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N multilayer coatings, this study conducted an analysis from multiple dimensions, including microstructure morphology, element distribution, mechanical properties, and friction and wear behavior.
SEM and EDS analysis revealed that under low to moderate current conditions of 65–85 A, the coating surface primarily consists of fine, uniformly distributed particles. Zr elements are enriched in the micro-particles, while Cr elements are relatively uniformly distributed, with only a few large particles exhibiting Cr enrichment. At this stage, the coating structure is dense and uniform, which enhances interfacial adhesion and delays stress concentration. However, when the current is further increased to 105–125 A, the element distribution on the coating surface gradually becomes uneven, with an increase in coarse particles and crater defects observed. XRD results confirm that the grains remain refined and a solid solution structure forms under these conditions. Meanwhile, the preferred crystal orientation gradually shifts from ZrN (111) to CrN (200), suggesting that Cr enrichment plays a dominant role in lattice evolution. This transition may reduce the binding energy and critical shear stress of specific crystal planes, potentially influencing the coating’s deformation behavior and wear resistance. At the micro-mechanical properties level, the higher H/E and H3/E2 values indicate that the coating has strong resistance to both elastic and plastic deformation, delaying crack initiation and propagation during friction contact. As the current increases to 105–125 A, coarse particles and defects on the surface increase, grain size coarsens, and Zr content decreases while Cr content increases. Although enhanced ion bombardment under high current conditions increases particle kinetic energy, it also causes a rise in substrate temperature, leading to grain growth and internal stress release. Additionally, coarse particles and pores act as stress concentration points, easily inducing microcracks and rapid propagation under contact stress, resulting in decreases in hardness and elastic modulus, as well as deterioration in toughness and crack resistance. Furthermore, it should be noted that the elastic modulus values in this study were obtained through nanoindentation testing, which may be affected by the microstructural unevenness of the coating surface. Especially under high-current conditions, the emergence of coarse droplets, crater defects, and increased roughness can alter the local deformation behavior beneath the indenter tip, leading to deviations and inconsistencies in the measured modulus values. Although care was taken to select relatively flat regions for testing, this influence may still introduce some inconsistency in the elastic modulus results. This phenomenon primarily stems from microstructural variations rather than surface degradation factors and should be noted in the interpretation of results.
The tribological performance is a consequence of this microstructural and mechanical evolution. Although the friction testing results show that as the COF decreases with increasing Cr cathode current, wear resistance does not follow the same trend. In this study, the coating primarily underwent micro-plowing wear mechanisms. During the running-in stage, the contact stress on the friction pair surface was concentrated in the rough peak regions, easily forming shallow grooves on the surface; in the stable stage, the material’s hardness, toughness, and surface integrity determined whether the grooves further expanded into cutting pits or peeling pits [45]. Although the Cr65 sample has higher hardness and toughness, its relatively high friction coefficient results in detrimental abrasive plowing action, exacerbating surface material removal during the stable wear stage; the Cr125 sample has the lowest friction coefficient, but due to insufficient hardness and structural integrity, it experiences large-area peeling under load, resulting in the largest wear volume. This phenomenon indicates that a lower friction coefficient does not necessarily correspond to superior wear resistance. In contrast, the Cr85 coating has high density, causing abrasive particles to primarily form shallow surface grooves accompanied by material accumulation under load rather than severe peeling. This achieves the lowest wear volume and wear rate while maintaining high H/E and H3/E2 ratios. The wear resistance of the coating depends on its hardness [36], as well as its refined grain structure, low defect density, uniform element distribution, and favorable crystal orientation. These factors work together to enhance the coating’s load-bearing capacity, crack propagation resistance, and reduce abrasive wear during sliding.
In conclusion, the wear resistance of the Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N multilayer composite coatings is not dictated by any individual factor, but rather arises from the synergistic interaction among microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological behavior. A Cr cathode arc current of 85 A is established as the optimal parameter, yielding a coating characterized by refined grains, low defect density, uniform element distribution, and improved mechanical properties. These features collectively act in concert to enhance the coating’s wear resistance.
However, the study of wear mechanisms in this research still has certain limitations. Although performance was analyzed based on macro indicators such as friction coefficient and wear rate, there was a lack of microscopic analysis of the wear surface and characterization of wear debris morphology, making it impossible to fully reveal the dominant mechanisms in the coating failure process, such as whether there were synergistic effects of abrasive wear, adhesive wear, or fatigue failure.
In addition, although this study primarily focused on the regulatory effects of Cr cathode current on the mechanical and tribological properties of the coating, other deposition process parameters, such as nitrogen pressure [46] and substrate bias voltage [47], have been shown to influence the microstructure and properties of the coating. These factors play a crucial role in regulating the coating’s density, stress state, and phase composition, which may further affect its wear resistance and performance. Therefore, future research could explore multi-parameter optimization to provide more comprehensive experimental evidence and theoretical support for the process design and application of aluminum alloy surface engineering.

5. Conclusions

This study investigated the effects of different Cr cathode arc currents on the microstructure and properties of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N multilayer coatings, leading to the following main conclusions:
(1)
As the chromium cathode arc current increases, the number and size of micro-particles on the coating surface gradually increase, accompanied by increased surface unevenness and a higher density of crater defects. At 65 A, the coating surface is primarily composed of small spherical particles with diameters less than 3 μm. When the current increases to 85 A, the particle size increases to 3–5 μm, and the coating becomes denser and uniform. However, at higher currents (105 A and 125 A), the micro-particles further coarsen, surface irregularities become more pronounced, elemental distribution becomes more uneven, and the number of craters increases.
(2)
All coatings exhibit an NaCl-type B1 structure with the main crystal plane being (111). Changes in Cr doping concentration cause lattice constant variations, leading to low-angle shifts in XRD diffraction peaks, indicating the formation of solid solutions and lattice distortion between Zr and Cr.
(3)
Nanoindentation test results show that the hardness of all coatings is significantly higher than that of the uncoated aluminum substrate. The Cr65 sample has the highest hardness (13.03 GPa) and elastic modulus (242.87 GPa), with the optimal H/E and H3/E2 ratios. Coatings deposited under low arc current exhibit high resistance to plastic deformation, while those deposited under high arc current have insufficient hardness and strength.
(4)
The Cr125 sample has the lowest COF (approximately 0.42), but its wear volume is relatively large (7.33 × 10−3 mm3). In contrast, the Cr85 sample maintains a low COF (approximately 0.48) while exhibiting the lowest wear volume (9.55 × 10−4 mm3) and a lower wear rate (5.31 × 10−5 mm3/N·m), demonstrating excellent wear resistance. Considering factors such as coating hardness, COF, wear volume, and wear rate, the coating prepared under 85 A conditions exhibits the best wear resistance performance.
Considering such factors as coating hardness, friction coefficient, wear volume and wear rate, the coating obtained with a Cr cathode arc current of 85A exhibits the best wear resistance characteristics.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, data curation, writing—original draft P.H. and T.H.; methodology, X.D. and K.C.; methodology, resources, writing—review and editing, A.V., C.S. and J.L.; investigation, Y.D. and Y.W.; supervision, T.H.; project administration, T.H.; funding acquisition, T.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52275350) and International Cooperation Research Platform Construction Project of Shanghai University of Engineering Science (Grant No. 0301006).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Coatings 15 01082 g001
Figure 1. Surface morphology of coatings: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
Figure 1. Surface morphology of coatings: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
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Figure 2. From the top view, the element distribution of the coatings: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
Figure 2. From the top view, the element distribution of the coatings: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
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Figure 3. Spectra of coatings obtained by EDS: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
Figure 3. Spectra of coatings obtained by EDS: (a)—Cr65, (b)—Cr85, (c)—Cr105, (d)—Cr125.
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Figure 4. XRD pattern of coatings.
Figure 4. XRD pattern of coatings.
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Figure 5. Hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings under different arc currents (a), H/E and H3/E2 ratios (b).
Figure 5. Hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings under different arc currents (a), H/E and H3/E2 ratios (b).
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Figure 6. COF of the coatings.
Figure 6. COF of the coatings.
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Figure 7. Three-dimensional wear scar morphology and two-dimensional wear contour of the coatings under different arc currents: (a,b)—substrate; (c,d)—Cr65; (e,f)—Cr85; (g,h)—Cr105; (i,j)—Cr125.
Figure 7. Three-dimensional wear scar morphology and two-dimensional wear contour of the coatings under different arc currents: (a,b)—substrate; (c,d)—Cr65; (e,f)—Cr85; (g,h)—Cr105; (i,j)—Cr125.
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Table 1. Intelligent quantitative analysis of coating composition using EDS eZAF.
Table 1. Intelligent quantitative analysis of coating composition using EDS eZAF.
SamplesElemental Composition [at.%]
ZrCrAlN
Cr6523.8324.633.2948.25
Cr8518.7328.084.6448.56
Cr10517.0833.192.2147.52
Cr12514.3635.952.6547.04
Table 2. Wear volume and wear rate of the coatings.
Table 2. Wear volume and wear rate of the coatings.
SamplesWear Volume (mm3)Wear Rate (mm3/N∙m)
Substrate5.32 × 10−22.96 × 10−3
Cr651.54 × 10−38.55 × 10−5
Cr859.55 × 10−45.31 × 10−5
Cr1051.35 × 10−37.52 × 10−5
Cr1257.33 × 10−34.08 × 10−5
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MDPI and ACS Style

He, P.; He, T.; Du, X.; Vereschaka, A.; Sotova, C.; Li, J.; Ding, Y.; Chen, K.; Wang, Y. The Effect of Cr Cathode Arc Current on the Wear Resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N Coatings on 7050 Aluminum Alloy. Coatings 2025, 15, 1082. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091082

AMA Style

He P, He T, Du X, Vereschaka A, Sotova C, Li J, Ding Y, Chen K, Wang Y. The Effect of Cr Cathode Arc Current on the Wear Resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N Coatings on 7050 Aluminum Alloy. Coatings. 2025; 15(9):1082. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091082

Chicago/Turabian Style

He, Peiyu, Tao He, Xiangyang Du, Alexey Vereschaka, Catherine Sotova, Jian Li, Yang Ding, Kang Chen, and Yuqi Wang. 2025. "The Effect of Cr Cathode Arc Current on the Wear Resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N Coatings on 7050 Aluminum Alloy" Coatings 15, no. 9: 1082. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091082

APA Style

He, P., He, T., Du, X., Vereschaka, A., Sotova, C., Li, J., Ding, Y., Chen, K., & Wang, Y. (2025). The Effect of Cr Cathode Arc Current on the Wear Resistance of Cr/(Zr,Cr)N/(Zr,Cr,Al)N Coatings on 7050 Aluminum Alloy. Coatings, 15(9), 1082. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091082

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