Plasma Deposition of Ti–C–N Coatings in Air

Abstract

The possibility of production of Ti-, N-, and C-containing superhard coatings on a metal substrate by a plasma-dynamic method in air is studied. The coating is deposited in the time of one short operating cycle of a magnetoplasma accelerator under the impact of a high speed electric discharge Ti-containing plasma jet on the substrate surface. Formation of TiN and TiCN nanostructured layers in the coating structure is ascertained with the help of the SEM and X-ray diffraction methods and it leads to the coating hardness increasing. Formation of a gradient layer of mixed material at the coating/substrate interface is found to occur under the action of a high-enthalpy plasma jet on a metal substrate. The value of hardness is not constant throughout the coating thickness, and ultrahigh nanohardness values >20 GPa were obtained for the subsurface layer and substrate/coating interface region. The mean value of hardness of the coating is 16.2 GPa. The coating produced has good adhesion with the substrate.