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Growth and Characterization of Arc Evaporated TiSiC–Ni Coatings

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Abstract

TiSiC–Ni coatings, with Ni as alloying element, were prepared on Si, C 45, and 316 L steel substrates by cathodic arc technique in a reactive atmosphere of CH4. The coatings, with three different Ni contents (3.2, 6.8 and 16.2 at.%), were investigated in terms of microchemical and microstructural properties, mechanical characteristics and tribological performance using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, hardness and adhesion measurements, and ball-on disc tribological testing. The coatings were found to consist of a mixture of different phases: face-centred cubic crystalline carbide, metallic Ni, and amorphous Si and C, with relative amounts depending on Ni concentration. All of the coatings exhibited dense and featureless morphologies. Ni addition to TiSiC coatings led to residual stress reduction (from −0.50 to −0.59 GPa) and improved adhesion strength (in the range 44–46 N). The TiSiC–Ni coatings with Ni contents below 7 at.% exhibited the best tribological properties under dry conditions (friction coefficients of ~0.32; wear rates from 3.16 to 3.66 × 10−6 mm3 N−1m−1).

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Acknowledgments

Work supported under the Grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research (CNCS – UEFISCDI), projects no. PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.2-1453, PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-1016, and by the Core Programme project PN 27 N/2009.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele-Bucharest, Romania

    M. Balaceanu, A. C. Parau, M. Braic, A. Vladescu & V. Braic

  2. National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele-Bucharest, Romania

    C. R. Luculescu

  3. National Institute of Materials Physics, 105bis Atomistilor Str., Magurele-Bucharest, Romania

    C. Logofatu

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  1. M. Balaceanu
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  2. A. C. Parau
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Correspondence to A. Vladescu.

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Balaceanu, M., Parau, A.C., Braic, M. et al. Growth and Characterization of Arc Evaporated TiSiC–Ni Coatings. Tribol Lett 58, 43 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-015-0521-6

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