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Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings
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Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 16001

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ľubomír Čaplovič

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Trnava 917 24, Slovakia
Interests: hard coatings; nanomaterials; PVD; material and surface characterization; failure analysis; transmission and scanning electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction and tensiometry; material structure–property relationships; mechanical properties; heat treatment; powder metallurgy; tribology and wear; high-strength steels; tool materials
Dr. Martin Sahul

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 917 24 Trnava, Slovakia
Interests: hard coatings; nanocomposite and multilayer coatings; PVD technologies; cathodic arc evaporation; magnetron sputtering; material and surface characterization; failure analysis; scanning electron microscopy (EDS, WDS and EBSD); laser scanning confocal microscopy; X-ray diffraction; metallography and microstructures; material structure-property relationships; residual stresses; mechanical properties; high speed steels; laser and electron beam welding; tribology and wear

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hard protective coatings have been widely used for many decades in various applications requiring wear resistance, friction reduction, thermal and corrosion protection and many others. Hard coatings can be deposited by different methods, including physical vapor deposition processes of evaporation and sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, thermal spraying and ion-beam implantation. The resulting properties of hard coatings strongly depend on chemical composition and structure, which can be modified by deposition parameters and use of the specific deposition method. Thanks to their unique characteristics, hard coatings can improve functional properties of bulk materials.

We would like to welcome you to submit your article to this Special Issue, which is called “Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings”. The goal of this issue is to gather some of the most recent and interesting contributions to the field of deposition and characterization of hard coatings. Contributions are expected to include the current study of the deposition of hard coatings and the characterization of their properties. In particular, the topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Numerical simulation on properties of hard coatings and influence of deposition parameters;
  • Hard coatings for industrial use;
  • Protective and tribological coatings;
  • Biomedical coatings;
  • Microstructure design and architecture of hard coatings (multilayers, nanocomposite and gradient coatings);
  • Structure–property relationships for hard coatings;
  • Chemical, plasma, and hybrid deposition processes;
  • Thermal spraying hard coatings;
  • Advanced methods for characterization of hard coatings;
  • Cubic boron nitride and diamond-related hard coatings.

Prof. Dr. Ľubomír Čaplovič
Dr. Martin Sahul
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hard coatings
  • advanced deposition methods and processes
  • characterization of coating properties
  • reliability coatings

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  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 20364 KiB  
Article
The Effect of In Situ Laser-Assisted Plasma Spraying on the Plasma Etching Resistance of Yttrium Oxide Coating
by Xutao Zhao, Tian Xie, Panpan Zhang, Zhehe Yao, Qunli Zhang, Jiake Deng, Yongfeng Sui and Jianhua Yao
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1427; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111427 - 10 Nov 2024
Viewed by 473
Abstract
In recent years, yttrium oxide coatings prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) have been employed extensively in semiconductor processing equipment. Meanwhile, defects in yttrium oxide coating, such as unmelted particles and pores, reduce the etching resistance of the coating. In this work, two [...] Read more.
In recent years, yttrium oxide coatings prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) have been employed extensively in semiconductor processing equipment. Meanwhile, defects in yttrium oxide coating, such as unmelted particles and pores, reduce the etching resistance of the coating. In this work, two yttrium oxide coatings were prepared by in situ laser-assisted plasma spraying (LAPS) coupled with a 500 W and 600 W laser for comparison with a coating prepared by APS, and the effects of the laser on the coating properties were investigated. The results show that the surface roughness was reduced by 25.7% (500 W) and 25.3% (600 W) and the porosity was reduced by 52.3% (500 W) and 36.9% (600 W) after laser coupling. After being etched by CF4/CHF3 for a long time, it was observed from SEM, EDS and XPS analyses that the intensity ratios of the Y-F bonds in the coating were 1 (APS):1.3 (LAPS+500W):1.1 (LAPS+600W), which indicated that the LAPS+500W coating had a thicker fluorination layer. It was also observed that the fluorination layer at the defect was first eroded; then, the erosion area gradually spread to the surrounding area, and finally, the fluorination layer was etched. This indicated that the defects had a significant impact on the etching resistance. Consequently, the LAPS+500W coating with fewer defects and a thicker fluorination layer showed the lowest etching rate. Therefore, in situ laser-assisted plasma spraying coupled with an appropriate laser power is an effective method to improve the performance of yttrium oxide coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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16 pages, 6415 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Multilayer Hard Coatings Deposited on WC-Co Hardmetals
by Mateja Šnajdar, Danko Ćorić and Matija Sakoman
Coatings 2024, 14(6), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14060674 - 27 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1277
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of a multilayered gradient coating, applied via plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition (PACVD), on the structural and mechanical attributes of nanostructured WC-Co cemented carbides. WC-Co samples containing 5 and 15 wt.% Co were synthesized through a hot isostatic pressing [...] Read more.
This paper examines the impact of a multilayered gradient coating, applied via plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition (PACVD), on the structural and mechanical attributes of nanostructured WC-Co cemented carbides. WC-Co samples containing 5 and 15 wt.% Co were synthesized through a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process using nanoparticle powders and coated with two distinct multilayer coatings: titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium carbonitride (TiCN). Nanosized grain formation without microstructural defects of the substrates, prior to coating, was confirmed by magnetic saturation and coercivity testing, microstructural analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Nanoindentation, fracture toughness and hardness testing were conducted for uncoated samples. After coatings deposition, characterizations including microscopy, surface roughness determination, adhesion testing, coating thickness measurement, and microhardness examination were conducted. The impact of deposited coatings on wear resistance of produced hardmetals was analyzed via scratch test and dry sliding wear test. Samples with higher Co content exhibited improved adhesion, facilitating surface cleaning and activation before coating. TiN and TiCN coatings demonstrated similar roughness on substrates of identical composition, suggesting Co content’s minimal influence on layer growth. Results of the mechanical tests showed higher microhardness, higher elastic modulus, better adhesion, and overall superior tribological properties of the TiCN coating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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19 pages, 33776 KiB  
Article
Properties of Diamond-like Tungsten-Doped Carbon Coatings Lubricated with Cutting Fluid
by Krystyna Radoń-Kobus, Monika Madej, Joanna Kowalczyk and Katarzyna Piotrowska
Coatings 2024, 14(3), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14030342 - 13 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1434
Abstract
In this paper, the authors investigated the impact of DLC coatings doped with tungsten (a-C:H:W) coatings obtained using plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition (PVD) on the properties of the 100Cr6 steel. The results of the 100Cr6 steel specimens with and without the coating were [...] Read more.
In this paper, the authors investigated the impact of DLC coatings doped with tungsten (a-C:H:W) coatings obtained using plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition (PVD) on the properties of the 100Cr6 steel. The results of the 100Cr6 steel specimens with and without the coating were compared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were used to observe the morphology of the coating surfaces and cross-sections and identify the elements in the coating composition. The contact angle of the investigated surfaces was measured with a tensiometer. Additionally, the effect of the coatings on the tribological properties of lubricated friction pairs was evaluated. Friction tests were performed on a ball-on-disc tribometer under lubrication with cutting fluid. The surface texture of the samples before and after the tribological tests was measured using a confocal profilometer. The results obtained from the tests and analysis allow for the conclusion that the use of DLC coatings a-C:H:W increases the hardness of 100Cr6 steel by three times. The values of the contact angles were indicative of surface hydrophilic characteristics. The tungsten-doped diamond-like coating under friction conditions reduced the coefficient of friction and wear. DLC coatings a-C:H:W lubricated with the cutting fluid improve the mechanical and tribological properties of 100Cr6 steel sliding surfaces under friction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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11 pages, 3358 KiB  
Article
Investigation on Microstructure and Properties of Cold-Sprayed Ni-Mo-Al2O3 Composite Coating
by Yinqing Gong, Cong Xiao, Shunjie Hu, Yicheng Zhou, Chenglin Li, Bing Yang, Jianqiang Zhang and Guodong Zhang
Coatings 2024, 14(2), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020205 - 5 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1147
Abstract
In this work, the effect of Mo on the microstructure and properties of Ni-Mo-Al2O3 coatings by cold spraying was studied. The microstructure, composition, hardness, wear resistance and chlorine salt corrosion resistance of the coatings were analyzed by a scanning electron [...] Read more.
In this work, the effect of Mo on the microstructure and properties of Ni-Mo-Al2O3 coatings by cold spraying was studied. The microstructure, composition, hardness, wear resistance and chlorine salt corrosion resistance of the coatings were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope, EDS, X-ray diffractometer, 3D profilometer, microhardness tester and friction wear tester. The results show that the coatings have low porosity and a uniform structure. The addition of Mo can improve the hardness, electrical conductivity, wear resistance and chlorine salt corrosion resistance of the coating but reduce the deposition efficiency of the powder. In general, the 80Ni-10Mo-10Al2O3 coating has the best comprehensive performance, with a hardness of 270.17 HV, friction coefficient of 0.4171 and corrosion rate of 0.287 g/m2·h in molten chloride. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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15 pages, 16308 KiB  
Article
Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon Coatings with Al Incorporation Deposited by a Hybrid Technique of Sputtering and Arc Evaporation
by Wei Dai, Yunzhan Shi, Qimin Wang and Junfeng Wang
Coatings 2024, 14(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010142 - 21 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1416
Abstract
In this paper, tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings containing Al were deposited by a hybrid technique of sputtering and arc evaporation. The influence of Al incorporation in the structure and properties of the ta-C coatings were studied as a function of the Al [...] Read more.
In this paper, tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings containing Al were deposited by a hybrid technique of sputtering and arc evaporation. The influence of Al incorporation in the structure and properties of the ta-C coatings were studied as a function of the Al concentration. It is found that Al tends to form a Al-O-C bond when the Al concentration is small. An Al-C bond was detected when the Al concentration is high. Al can facilitate the graphitization of the ta-C coatings and the graphite cluster size as well as the sp2/sp3 ratio of the coatings increase as the Al concentration increases. The decline of the sp3 fraction causes the drop in the hardness of the coatings. The incorporation of Al can effectively decrease the residual stress of the ta-C coatings. During friction tests, Al can facilitate the formation of the sp2-rich graphitic tribo-layer and decrease the friction coefficient. Nevertheless, the decline of the hardness due to the Al incorporation will result in the increase in the wear rate of the coating. It is believed that the ta-C coating with a proper concentration of Al appears to achieve a good comprehensive performance with high hardness, low residual stress, and a low friction coefficient and wear rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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11 pages, 4427 KiB  
Article
Replacing Toxic Hard Chrome Coatings: Exploring the Tribocorrosion Behaviour of Electroless Nickel-Boron Coatings
by Muslum Yunacti, Veronique Vitry, Alex Montagne and Mariana Henriette Staia
Coatings 2023, 13(12), 2046; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13122046 - 5 Dec 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1300
Abstract
Electroless nickel-boron coatings present outstanding properties such as high hardness, excellent wear resistance and uniform coating, and thus they are considered to be alternative to toxic hard chrome coatings. However, they contain lead that is toxic and used as stabilizer in the plating [...] Read more.
Electroless nickel-boron coatings present outstanding properties such as high hardness, excellent wear resistance and uniform coating, and thus they are considered to be alternative to toxic hard chrome coatings. However, they contain lead that is toxic and used as stabilizer in the plating bath. This study aims to investigate the tribocorrosion behaviour of lead-free electroless nickel-boron coatings. In the present research, several tests were carried out to investigate the behaviour of these coatings under both dry and tribocorrosion reciprocating sliding wear against alumina balls, at room temperature. The open circuit potential (OCP) method was used to determine the degradation mechanism of the coatings. The results of the tribocorrosion and dry wear tests showed that the performance of coatings was very different from each other. A steady state for the coefficient of friction (COF) is achieved during the tribocorrosion test, whereas the constant production of debris and their presence in the contact implied an increase in COF with distance during the dry wear test. The wear mechanisms of these coatings also presented variations in these tests. It was found that the wear area calculated from tribocorrosion is lower (56 µm2) than the one from dry sliding test (86 µm2). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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13 pages, 22917 KiB  
Article
Microstructure and Properties of Inconel 718 Coatings with Different Laser Powers on the Surface of 316L Stainless Steel Substrate
by Yu Liu, Lin Zhu, Zeyu Li, Miao Yu, Yali Gao and Hui Liang
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1947; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111947 - 15 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1356
Abstract
Laser cladding is a new method to prepare coatings with good quality. Laser power is one of the main factors affecting the quality of laser cladding coatings. An appropriate laser power helps obtain a high-performance laser cladding coating. In order to obtain coatings [...] Read more.
Laser cladding is a new method to prepare coatings with good quality. Laser power is one of the main factors affecting the quality of laser cladding coatings. An appropriate laser power helps obtain a high-performance laser cladding coating. In order to obtain coatings with good quality, an experiment with different laser powers was designed in this research. Three Inconel 718 coatings with different laser powers were prepared on the surface of a 316L stainless steel substrate. And the effect of different laser powers (1400, 1600, and 1800 W) on the microstructure, phases, and element distribution of coatings (L1–L3) was investigated by SEM, EDS, XRD, and a wear and friction tester. Meanwhile, the microhardness and friction and wear properties of different coatings were analyzed. The results show that the coatings’ phases were the same and composed of γ~(Fe, Ni) solid solution, Ni3Nb, (Nb0.03Ti0.97)Ni3, MCX (M = Cr, Nb, Mo), and so on. The background zones in the L1–L3 coatings were mainly the Fe and Ni elements. The irregular blocks in the coating were rich in Cr, Mo, and Nb, which formed the MCX (M = Cr, Nb, Mo) phase. When laser powers were 1400, 1600, and 1800 W, the average microhardness of the three coatings was 685.6, 604.6, and 551.9 HV0.2, respectively. The L1 coating had the maximum microhardness, 707.5 HV0.2, because the MCX (M = Cr, Nb, Mo)-reinforced phase appeared on the upper part of the coating. The wear rates were 3.65 × 10−5, 2.97 × 10−5, and 6.98 × 10−5 mm3·n−1·m−1. The wear mechanism of the three coatings was abrasive wear and adhesive wear. When the laser power was 1600 W, the coating had the minimum wear rate, which exhibited the best wear resistance. When the laser power was 1600 W, the upper part of the coating to the bonding zone was mainly composed of equiaxed crystals, dendrites, cellular crystals, columnar crystals, and planar crystals. The fine crystals and compounds caused a decrease in wear volume, and they had the most optimal wear resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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15 pages, 8377 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Cold Sprayed Titanium TA2 Coating by Irregular Powder and Evaluation of Its Corrosion Resistance
by Zhengyi Li, Na Wang, Shuhua Li, Lei Wen, Chengcheng Xu and Dongbai Sun
Coatings 2023, 13(11), 1894; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13111894 - 4 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1229
Abstract
Titanium coating on a steel substrate by surface technology can improve the corrosion resistance of steel. In this paper, the titanium TA2 coating was deposited on X80 steel by cold spraying equipment with a low-cost irregular powder. The effects of the carrier gas [...] Read more.
Titanium coating on a steel substrate by surface technology can improve the corrosion resistance of steel. In this paper, the titanium TA2 coating was deposited on X80 steel by cold spraying equipment with a low-cost irregular powder. The effects of the carrier gas temperature on the microstructure, microhardness, wear resistance, adhesion and corrosion resistance of titanium coatings, especially in a deep sea environment, were studied by methods of porosity analysis, thermal field emission scanning analysis, energy spectrum analysis, Vickers hardness tests, bonding strength tests, friction and wear tests and electrochemical tests. The results showed that as the carrier gas temperature increased from 300 °C to 900 °C, the porosity of the coating decreased to 0.93%, and the hardness and bonding strength of the coating increased to 247 HV0.5 and 46.7 MPa, respectively. With the increase in hydrostatic pressure from 0.1 MPa to 40 MPa, the dimensional blunt current density of the titanium coating with 0.93% porosity was still in the order of 10−7 A·cm−2 with the cast titanium TA2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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11 pages, 3026 KiB  
Article
First Approach to Doping Silver into CrB2 Thin Films Deposited by DC/HiPIMS Technology in Terms of Mechanical and Tribological Properties
by Martin Truchlý, Marián Haršáni, Adam Frkáň, Tomáš Fiantok, Martin Sahul, Tomáš Roch, Peter Kúš and Marián Mikula
Coatings 2023, 13(5), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13050824 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1482
Abstract
Doping of transition metal diborides (TMB2) films with soft metals (Ag, Au, Pt) can extend their application potential to tribological and biomedical fields. Here, a combination of direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering (DC-UBMS) with high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) was used [...] Read more.
Doping of transition metal diborides (TMB2) films with soft metals (Ag, Au, Pt) can extend their application potential to tribological and biomedical fields. Here, a combination of direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering (DC-UBMS) with high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) was used to synthesize silver-doped CrB2+x thin films on unheated substrates. All Ag–CrB2+x thin films were over-stoichiometric with a B/Cr ratio ranging from 2.05 to 2.30 and silver content varying from 3 at.% to 29 at.%. X-ray diffraction demonstrates the amorphous character of the structure in the case of films with silver content ranging from 0 at.% to 8 at.%. A nanocrystalline structure containing a cubic Ag phase is formed in the films with higher silver content. The highest hardness of 26.6 GPa accompanied by the highest value of elastic modulus of 362 GPa was measured in undoped CrB2.3 films. As the silver content in the Ag–CrB2+x thin films increases, the hardness and elastic modulus values gradually decrease to 7.8 GPa and 187 GPa, respectively. The friction properties of CrB2.3 films, expressed by the coefficient of friction against a steel ball of 0.72, are insufficient and limit their use in demanding industrial applications. However, silver doping significantly reduces the friction coefficient when the lowest value of 0.39 is measured in moderately hard Ag–CrB2+x films with an Ag content of 17 at.%. The scratch test shows satisfactory adhesion of films to substrates even without additional heating during deposition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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10 pages, 2205 KiB  
Article
Additive Manufacturing of Tungsten Carbide Surfaces with Extreme Wear Resistivity
by Florian Köhn, Michael Sedlmajer, Joachim Albrecht and Markus Merkel
Coatings 2021, 11(10), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11101240 - 13 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3526
Abstract
Steel surfaces have been coated with Co-based tungsten carbide (WC) in an additive printing process. This process leads to compact and extremely mechanically stable surfaces. We performed tribological measurements using WC counter bodies under dry conditions and severe mechanical load. Low coefficients of [...] Read more.
Steel surfaces have been coated with Co-based tungsten carbide (WC) in an additive printing process. This process leads to compact and extremely mechanically stable surfaces. We performed tribological measurements using WC counter bodies under dry conditions and severe mechanical load. Low coefficients of friction, even for rough surfaces, were found and the resulting wear rates were extraordinarily small, even when compared to high-quality PVD film with a similar composition. These findings suggest a wide field of application for this novel preparation process for wear-resistive surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deposition and Characterization of Hard Coatings)
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