Development and Research of a Ti/TiN/TiAlN Hard Coating

Abstract The present study is a part of a larger project of developing multicomponent hard, wear-resistant coatings for industrial applications. A Ti/TiN/TiAlN hard coating with improved mechanical properties and adhesion was obtained as a result of the selected technological process. The coating was deposited via unbalanced magnetron sputtering in closed magnetic field. Its thickness was determined by the ball-cratering method and roughness was measured using a contact profilometer, and a confocal optical microscope. Nanohardness of 32.3 GPa and effective modulus of elasticity of 422 GPa were determined by nanoindentation. No cracks and critical failures were detected during the scratch test up to 30 N. Scratching coefficient of 0.12 was measured against diamond indenter. The morphological examination by SEM showed a dense structure without significant defects. The elemental composition of the main layer determined by SEM/EDS was: N – 42 at. %, Al – 26 at. %, and Ti – 32 at. %. The coating considered could be used as a basis for the development of multicomponent coatings, including an application as a sublayer in multilayer coatings. As a stand-alone coating, it is applicable for deposition on cutting tools for dry metal processing.