Characterization of AlCrN and AlCrON Coatings Deposited on Plasma Nitrided AISI H13 Steels Using Ion-Source-Enhanced Arc Ion Plating

• Main Authors: Farooq Ahmad, Lin Zhang, Jun Zheng, Iram Sidra, Shihong Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Coatings
• Subjects: microstructure; tribology; alcron coating; ion-source-enhanced arc ion plating
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/10/4/306

The AlCrN and AlCrON coatings were deposited on plasma nitrided H13 steels through ion-source-enhanced arc ion plating, and their structures, mechanical properties, thermal stabilities, and tribological properties were investigated. Structural analysis showed that the monolayer AlCrN and AlCrON bilayered coatings were mainly composed of fcc-AlCrN and fcc-AlCrON solid solution phases respectively. Upon the addition of thin AlCrON layer, the hardness of AlCrN/AlCrON coating slightly decreased from about 30.5 GPa to 28.6 GPa, and the thermal stability was improved after annealing at 700 °C. Both coatings exhibited excellent wear resistance at room temperature, while all wear process involved a combination of wear mechanisms, including severe abrasion and oxidation at an evaluated temperature. The AlCrON bilayered coating showed better wear resistance than that of AlCrN coating due to a dense anti-oxidation layer and better adhesion at a high temperature, making it suitable for die tool protection coatings.