The nanostructure and mechanical properties of nanocomposite Nb-x-CoCrCuFeNi thin films

The relation between the nanostructure and the mechanical properties of Nb-x-CoCrCuFeNi high entropy alloy thin films was explored. With increasing Nb concentration (0 to 24 at.% Nb), a transition from a single phase face-centered cubic solid solution to an amorphous phase is observed. At intermediary Nb fractions (5 to 15 at.% Nb) a nanocomposite structure is formed that consists of nanosized crystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix. The nanocomposite structure leads to an increase in hardness beyond the Hall-Petch breakdown. The shear and Young's moduli decrease with increasing Nb concentration, which is beneficial for the alloy ductility. (C) 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Adhesive-deformation relationships and mechanical properties of nc-AlCrN/a-SiNx hard coatings deposited at different bias voltages

A series of Al-Cr-Si-N hard coatings were deposited on WC-Co substrates with a negative substrate bias voltage ranging from -50 to -200 V using cathodic arc evaporation system. A Rockwell-C adhesion test demonstrated that excellent adhesion was observed at lower bias voltages of -50 V and -80 V, while further increases in bias voltage up to -200 V led to severe delamination and worsening of the overall adhesion strength. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed a single phase cubic B1-structure identified as an AlCrN solid solution with a nanocomposite microstructure where cubic AlCrN nanocrystals were embedded in a thin continuous amorphous SiNx matrix. Coatings exhibited a 002-texture evolution that was more pronounced at higher bias voltages (amp;gt;=-120 V). Stress-induced cracks were observed inside the coatings at high bias voltages (amp;gt;=-150 V), which resulted in stress relaxation and a decline in the overall residual stresses.Funding Agencies|Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic within the Research and Development Operational Programme [ITMS 26240220084, ITMS: 26220120048]; Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-15-0168, APVV-14-0173]</p

Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Advanced Layered WN/MeN (Me = Zr, Cr, Mo, Nb) Nanocomposite Coatings

Due to the increased demands for drilling and cutting tools working at extreme machining conditions, protective coatings are extensively utilized to prolong the tool life and eliminate the need for lubricants. The present work reports on the effect of a second MeN (Me = Zr, Cr, Mo, Nb) layer in WN-based nanocomposite multilayers on microstructure, phase composition, and mechanical and tribological properties. The WN/MoN multilayers have not been studied yet, and cathodic-arc physical vapor deposition (CA-PVD) has been used to fabricate studied coating systems for the first time. Moreover, first-principles calculations were performed to gain more insight into the properties of deposited multilayers. Two types of coating microstructure with different kinds of lattices were observed: (i) face-centered cubic (fcc) on fcc-W2N (WN/CrN and WN/ZrN) and (ii) a combination of hexagonal and fcc on fcc-W2N (WN/MoN and WN/NbN). Among the four studied systems, the WN/NbN had superior properties: the lowest specific wear rate (1.7 × 10−6 mm3/Nm) and high hardness (36 GPa) and plasticity index H/E (0.93). Low surface roughness, high elastic strain to failure, Nb2O5 and WO3 tribofilms forming during sliding, ductile behavior of NbN, and nanocomposite structure contributed to high tribological performance. The results indicated the suitability of WN/NbN as a protective coating operating in challenging conditions