Oxidation behavior of TiB2–SiC nanocomposite coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering

TiB2 and TiB2-SiC coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering using pure TiB2 targets and TiB2-20 mol. % SiC composite targets, and their high-temperature oxidation behavior in air was investigated. The addition of SiC transformed the TiB2 coating from a columnar microstructure to a densely nanocrystalline structure. After air annealing at 500 °C, a small amount of B2O3 oxide scales began to form on the surface of T20S. As the annealing temperature increased, the T0S coating developed loose B2O3 and TiO2 oxide layers and was completely oxidized at 1000 °C. In contrast, the dense B2O3 and amorphous borosilicate passivation layer in the T20S coating inhibited oxygen diffusion, delaying complete oxidation until annealing at 1100 °C.