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Metals
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Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings
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Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 12477

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Artur Shugurov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634055 Tomsk, Russia
Interests: titanium alloys; thin films and coatings; mechanical properties; scratch testing; nanoindentation; surfaces and interfaces
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thin metallic and composite coatings have displayed increasing applicability in various fields of science and technology. They are used as protective coatings that significantly improve the hardness, wear, corrosion and oxidation resistance of structural materials in the aerospace, mechanical engineering, energy, medicine and chemical industries, as well as serving as the main structural elements of various components and devices in micro- and nanoelectronics, solar energetics, optoelectronics, medicine, etc. Coatings’ properties, which define their suitability for different applications, are critically dependent on their microstructure. Despite a large amount of work being done in the field of the investigation of microstructure evolution in coatings deposited under different conditions, detailed studies of the effect of the microstructure on the mechanical, electrical, optical, tribological and other characteristics are still necessary because of the need to obtain new coatings with improved characteristics by varying the deposition parameters and resulting microstructures.

This Special Issue is focused on various aspects of microstructure evolution in metallic and composite coatings, obtained using different deposition techniques, as well as on the relation between their microstructure and their mechanical, electrical, optical, tribological and other properties. Original articles and reviews in the areas of the deposition and experimental characterization of metallic and composite coatings, as well as the computer simulation of their behavior, are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Artur Shugurov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coatings
  • microstructure
  • deposition techniques
  • mechanical behavior
  • electrical and optical properties
  • wear
  • experimental characterization
  • computer simulation

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 21555 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Plasma–Electrolytic Nitrocarburizing of a Medium Carbon Steel Surface on Friction and Wear in Pair with Tin–Lead Bronze
by Anatoly Borisov, Tatiana Mukhacheva, Sergei Kusmanov, Igor Suminov, Pavel Podrabinnik, Yaroslav Meleshkin and Sergey Grigoriev
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101731 - 12 Oct 2023
Viewed by 531
Abstract
The possibility of increasing the durability of steel pins working against bronze bushings through plasma–electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel is shown. The phase composition, microhardness, morphology, and surface roughness were studied. Tribological tests were carried out under dry friction [...] Read more.
The possibility of increasing the durability of steel pins working against bronze bushings through plasma–electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel is shown. The phase composition, microhardness, morphology, and surface roughness were studied. Tribological tests were carried out under dry friction conditions according to the shaft-pad scheme. It has been established that plasma–electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel at a temperature of 700 °C for 5 min leads to a decrease in the friction coefficient by 2.3 times, the weight wear of steel by 24.9 times, and the wear of the bronze counterbody by 5.9 times. At the same time, the contact stiffness increases by 2.6 times. Type of wear: wear with dry friction and plastic contact. The changes in tribological characteristics are associated with the high hardness of the hardened steel surface combined with the effect of dispersed nitrides and iron carbonitrides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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12 pages, 3570 KiB  
Article
Microstructure and Tribological Behavior of Cr-Mn-N Steel with Age-Hardened Near-Surface Layer including CrN and Fe2N Particles Intended for Use in Orthopedic Implants
by Natalia Narkevich, Ilya Vlasov and Aleksey Tolmachev
Metals 2023, 13(8), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081328 - 25 Jul 2023
Viewed by 817
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a study of 17%Cr-19%Mn-0.53%N high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel with a 25 µm thick dispersion-hardened near-surface layer intended for orthopedic applications. It was modified using a mechanical–thermal treatment (MTT) that included both friction processing and subsequent electron beam [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of a study of 17%Cr-19%Mn-0.53%N high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel with a 25 µm thick dispersion-hardened near-surface layer intended for orthopedic applications. It was modified using a mechanical–thermal treatment (MTT) that included both friction processing and subsequent electron beam processing. The friction processing enabled the formation of a microstructure with a high dislocation density and strain twins, and it also initiated strain aging in the near-surface layer. At this stage, the hardening was achieved via the formation of CrN particles coherent to the matrix with the face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice and via the relaxation of internal stresses. After electron beam processing, the volume fraction of the nanodispersed phases increased. In the near-surface layer, a highly dispersed microstructure with a grain size of 3 μm, reinforced with CrN and Fe2N nanoparticles, was observed using transmission electron microscopy. The MTT increased the microhardness of the surface layer, and this contributed to the enhancement in both the H/E and H3/E2 ratios. This indicated an improvement in the crack resistance of the steel under frictional loads. The MTT also enhanced both the yield point (up to 580 MPa) and the wear resistance (by 50% to 100%, depending on the applied load) compared with those of the same steel after it had undergone quenching. In addition, the wear resistance was many times greater than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy typically used for manufacturing orthopedic implants. After the MTT, the properties of the near-surface layer of the steel indicated its suitability for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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15 pages, 10487 KiB  
Article
Structure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-Al-Ta-N Coatings Deposited by Direct Current and Middle-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering
by Artur R. Shugurov, Evgenii D. Kuzminov and Yuriy A. Garanin
Metals 2023, 13(3), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030512 - 03 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1350
Abstract
Ti-Al-Ta-N coatings are characterized by attractive mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxidation resistance, which are superior to ternary compositions, such as Ti-Al-N. However, because of their open columnar microstructure, the Ti-Al-Ta-N coatings deposited by conventional direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) exhibit insufficient wear [...] Read more.
Ti-Al-Ta-N coatings are characterized by attractive mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxidation resistance, which are superior to ternary compositions, such as Ti-Al-N. However, because of their open columnar microstructure, the Ti-Al-Ta-N coatings deposited by conventional direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) exhibit insufficient wear resistance. This work is focused on obtaining the Ti-Al-Ta-N coatings with improved microstructure and mechanical and tribological properties by middle-frequency magnetron sputtering (MFMS). The coatings are deposited by the co-sputtering of two separate targets (Ti-Al and Ta) using pure DCMS and MFMS modes as well as hybrid modes. It is found that the MFMS coating has a denser microstructure consisting of fragmented columnar grains interspersed with equiaxed grains and a smaller grain size than the DCMS coating, which is characterized by a fully columnar microstructure. The modification of the microstructure of the MFMS coating results in the simultaneous enhancement of its hardness, toughness and adhesion. As a result, the wear rate of the MFMS coating is less than half of that of the DCMS coating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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11 pages, 4173 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ta Content on Scratching Behavior of Ti-Al-Ta-N Coatings on Titanium Substrate
by Artur Shugurov and Evgenii Kuzminov
Metals 2022, 12(6), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12061017 - 15 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1161
Abstract
The effect of Ta alloying on the structure, mechanical properties and scratching behavior of Ti-Al-N-based coatings deposited on Ti substrates by reactive direct-current magnetron sputtering is studied. It was found that increasing the Ta content in the Ti1-x-yAlxTay [...] Read more.
The effect of Ta alloying on the structure, mechanical properties and scratching behavior of Ti-Al-N-based coatings deposited on Ti substrates by reactive direct-current magnetron sputtering is studied. It was found that increasing the Ta content in the Ti1-x-yAlxTayN coatings from y = 0 to y = 0.65 led to a decrease in hardness and Young’s modulus but an increase in the hardness-to-modulus ratio. This resulted in the reduction of the load-bearing capacity of the Ta-alloyed coatings and enhancement of their toughness. The competition among these trends determined the improved crack resistance and adhesion of the Ti0.31Al0.34Ta0.35N coating under scratching. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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20 pages, 10220 KiB  
Article
Structural Peculiarities of Growth and Deformation of Ti-Al-Si-Cu-N Gradient-Laminated Coatings Due to Indentation
by Stanislav Ovchinnikov and Vladimir Kuznetsov
Metals 2022, 12(4), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12040626 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1161
Abstract
The composition, structure, properties and deformation behavior during the indentation of gradient-layered heterophase coatings of a Ti-Al-Si-Cu-N system were studied using scanning, transmission microscopy and hardness measurement techniques. The results showed the alteration of structural state characteristics—decreased crystal sizes and crystal lattice parameter [...] Read more.
The composition, structure, properties and deformation behavior during the indentation of gradient-layered heterophase coatings of a Ti-Al-Si-Cu-N system were studied using scanning, transmission microscopy and hardness measurement techniques. The results showed the alteration of structural state characteristics—decreased crystal sizes and crystal lattice parameter and increased lattice bending–torsion—throughout the coating thickness, which changed depending on the elemental composition and the synthesis conditions. The work also studied the coating’s fracture behavior and assessed the macroscopic plastic deformation of its separate layers. It was established that near the indenter’s tip, the nanocrystalline structure experienced the formation of separate nanosized localized fracture areas that were connected by multiple branching cracks. It was shown that the deformation of nanocrystalline and submicrocrystalline layers may exceed dozens of percent, and more in magnitude, especially with increasing distance from the indentation tip in the case of a layer with a columnar structure. The characteristics of the microstructure of different coating layers in the indentation zone were studied. It was found that in the indentation zone under the indenter’s tip, the deformation of layers with initially different structures led to equalization of the characteristics of their structural state and the similarity of a defective microstructure at the nanoscale level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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12 pages, 3608 KiB  
Article
Si-Al-N-O Multi-Layer Coatings with Increased Corrosion Resistance Deposited on Stainless Steel by Magnetron Sputtering
by Tamara Dorofeeva, Tatiana Gubaidulina, Victor Sergeev and Marina Fedorischeva
Metals 2022, 12(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020254 - 28 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2154
Abstract
This work studies single-layer (Al-Si-N) and multi-layer (Al-Si-N-O/Al-Si-O) coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering on stainless steel specimens (AISI 321), which can be used under aggressive conditions. The multi-layer coating consists of six alternating layers of Al-Si-N-O and Al-Si-O with a thickness of 0.9 [...] Read more.
This work studies single-layer (Al-Si-N) and multi-layer (Al-Si-N-O/Al-Si-O) coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering on stainless steel specimens (AISI 321), which can be used under aggressive conditions. The multi-layer coating consists of six alternating layers of Al-Si-N-O and Al-Si-O with a thickness of 0.9 µm and 0.2 µm, respectively. The structural-phase state and the chemical composition of the coatings were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy and XPS analysis. It was revealed that single-layer coatings are nanocrystalline and contain AlN and α-Si3N4 phases. Multi-layer coatings (Al-Si-N-O/Al-Si-O) are amorphous in each of the layers. The corrosion properties of substrate and coated specimens were investigated using a potentiostat in the 3.5 mg/l sea salt solution. It was found that corrosion resistance of stainless steel specimens with multi-layer coating is substantially (tenfold) higher compared with substrates and the specimens with single-layer coating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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10 pages, 5233 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Structural-Phase State of a Copper Substrate upon Modification with Titanium Ions on the Thermal Cyclic Resistance of a Coating Based on Zr-Y-O
by Marina Vladimirovna Fedorischeva, Mark Kalashnikov, Irina Bozhko and Victor Sergeev
Metals 2022, 12(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12010065 - 29 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1072
Abstract
The results of investigation of the surface of a copper substrate modified with titanium ions are presented. The phase composition, the structure, and the morphology of the surface of the copper alloy modified by titanium ions have been investigated by X-ray, SEM, and [...] Read more.
The results of investigation of the surface of a copper substrate modified with titanium ions are presented. The phase composition, the structure, and the morphology of the surface of the copper alloy modified by titanium ions have been investigated by X-ray, SEM, and TEM. It has been established that there are the intermetallic phases of the Cu-Ti equilibrium diagram in the surface layer during the treatment of copper by the titanium ions. A multilevel micro- and nanoporous structure is formed in the modified layer. It has been established that the structure-phase state and morphology of the surface layers of copper directly effects on the thermocycler resistance and adhesion of the Zr-Y-O coating. The thermocyclic resistance of the Zr-Y-O coating increases by an order of magnitude, the adhesion to the substrate is 2 times if the substrate surface is treated with titanium ions for 6 min. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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14 pages, 4291 KiB  
Article
Nanostructured Coatings (Ti,Zr)N as a Barrier to Hydrogen Diffusion into Ti0.16Pd (wt.%) Alloy
by Aleksandr Lotkov, Svetlana Latushkina, Vladimir Kopylov, Victor Grishkov, Anatoly Baturin, Natalia Girsova, Dorzhima Zhapova and Victor Timkin
Metals 2021, 11(9), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11091332 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1774
Abstract
The results of a study of structure, phase, and chemical compositions of nanostructured (Ti,Zr)N coatings formed by vacuum arc deposition on Ti0.16Pd (wt.%) alloy substrates are reported. The coating composition was varied depending on the quasi-binary system δ—TiN—δ—ZrN. The coatings were formed in [...] Read more.
The results of a study of structure, phase, and chemical compositions of nanostructured (Ti,Zr)N coatings formed by vacuum arc deposition on Ti0.16Pd (wt.%) alloy substrates are reported. The coating composition was varied depending on the quasi-binary system δ—TiN—δ—ZrN. The coatings were formed in two modes: without (mode 1) and with (mode 2) rotation of the substrates in a plasma flow. It was shown that irrespective of the deposition regime, the coatings have a single-phase nanograined (grain size ≤ 20 nm) structure of δ-nitrides TiN, (Ti,Zr)N, and ZrN. It is found out that the coatings deposited in accordance with modes 1 and 2 significantly differ in their microstructure. It is demonstrated that in the case of electrolytic hydrogenation in a physiological saline solution (0.9% NaCl), the barrier properties of the coatings deposited via mode 2 are substantially better than those deposited via mode 1 (irrespective of the chemical coating compositions). In the coatings with a regular columnar structure (mode 1), there is a high concentration of hydrogen homogeneously distributed over the coating thickness. In the coatings formed via mode 2 (without columnar microstructure), a high concentration of hydrogen was observed in the subsurface area only. It is found out that there is no hydrogen diffusion into the substrate of these coating both immediately after hydrogenation and after storing for 430 h at room temperature. It was shown that the highest barrier properties were exhibited by the (Ti,Zr)N coatings with the least correlation of spatial distribution of nanograins and Zr/Ti ≤ 1. The hydrogen absorption in the coating based on zirconium nitride increases by a factor of 2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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15 pages, 4857 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Multilayer Architecture and Ta Alloying on the Mechanical Performance of Ti-Al-N Coatings under Scratching and Uniaxial Tension
by Artur Rubinovich Shugurov and Evgenii Dmitrievich Kuzminov
Metals 2021, 11(8), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11081307 - 18 Aug 2021
Viewed by 1561
Abstract
The present work is focused on a comparative study of the effect of Ti-Al interlayers and Ta alloying on the mechanical behavior of Ti1−xAlxN coatings under normal contact pressure and in-plane straining. The contact loading of the samples was [...] Read more.
The present work is focused on a comparative study of the effect of Ti-Al interlayers and Ta alloying on the mechanical behavior of Ti1−xAlxN coatings under normal contact pressure and in-plane straining. The contact loading of the samples was carried out by scratch testing, while the in-plane tensile straining was performed by uniaxial tension of the coated steel substrates. The Ti0.45Al0.55N and Ti0.43Al0.45Ta0.12N monolithic coatings as well as the Ti0.45Al0.55N/Ti0.45Al0.55 multilayer coatings with different number and thickness of the layers were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. It was found that the introduction of the ductile Ti0.45Al0.55 layers into the Ti0.45Al0.55N coating and alloying with Ta led to their significant toughening. The improved toughness of the Ti0.43Al0.45Ta0.12N coating coupled with high residual compressive stress and high hardness resulted in its strongest resistance to cracking under scratching and tensile straining among the coatings studied. The multilayer coating with the thickest metal layers exhibited the improved resistance to delamination under in-plane straining. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructures and Properties Characterization of Metallic/Composite Coatings)
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