10 research outputs found
Improved corrosion resistance of cathodic arc evaporated Al0.7Cr0.3_xVxN coatings in NaCl-rich media
The corrosion resistance of cathodic arc evaporated Al0.7Cr0.3_xVxN coatings with a vanadium content up to 22.3 at% has been electrochemically tested in a 0.1 M NaCl-solution. Significant improvement in the open porosity and corrosion rate was observed for coatings with higher V-contents, due to a denser and more refined coating morphology. Further reduction in the open porosity rate was achieved through an annealing step in air at 700 degrees C. Here, the formation of an AlVO4 top-oxide and underlying oxygen-rich V-depletion zone provides additional sealing of the coating surface, whilst reducing the corrosion current density to a final 1.59 x 10_9 A/cm2