Study of the making and properties TiC and TiN coatings deposited on AISI H13 and AISI D2 toll nitrated and not nitrated steel.

Author(s)

Abel André Cândido Recco

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP/BC)
• Defense date: 2008-08-15

Examining board members

André Paulo Tschiptschin; Luis César Fontana; Ivo de Castro Oliveira; Giuseppe Pintaúde; Roberto Martins de Souza

• Advisor: André Paulo Tschiptschin

Abstract

DC Triode Reactive Magnetron Sputtered TiN and TiC films were deposited on quenched and tempered AISI H13 AISI D2 tool steels, and silicon (111) substrates, under nitrogen and argon or methane and argon reactive plasma. Hybrid duplex treatments were carried out in a home-built hybrid reactor, where pulsed plasma nitriding and unbalanced DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtering were performed in the same cycle, without exposing the surface of the sample to atmospheric pressure. The ceramic thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, WDS spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, depth sensing techniques (nanoscale), nanoscratch tests, Rockwell C and linear sclerometry adhesion tests. Nanoscale depth sensing was used for measuring hardness (H), Young modulus (E*), the H/E* ratio (elastic strain to failure), resistance to plastic deformation, H3/E*2 and elastic recovery. The pulsed plasma nitriding was performed in conditions which avoided the formation of a white layer obtaining only a diffusion zone. When TiN and TiC films were deposited on the quenched and tempered tool steels the adhesion of the ceramic films to the substrate was poor. When the steels were plasma nitrided before deposition the adhesion of the TiN layer to the substrate was improved. However, the adhesion of the TiC film deposited on the nitrided tool steels was also very poor. Therefore, plasma nitriding does not guarantee a better adhesion of the TiC film to the substrate. The abrupt transition of mechanical properties (hardness, Young Modulus and elastic recovery) between the TiC film and the substrate were responsible for the lower adhesion observed. To improve the adhesion of the ceramic film to the substrate, TiN-TiC multilayers were deposited on the surface of the nitrided tool steels, so as to obtain functionally graded films, in which the values of H/E* ratio and elastic recovery, increased in a less abrupt way from the substrate to the film. In the nanoscratch test high it was observed that high values of the H/E* and the H3/E*2 ratios and of the elastic recovery presented lower residual scratch depth. (AU)