In this paper, we analyze the possibilities of the protection of tools for wood machining with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) hard coatings. The nanolayered TiN/AlTiN coating, nanocomposite TiAlSiN coatings, and single layer TiN coating were analyzed in order to use them for protection of tools for wood machining. Both nanostructured coatings were deposited in an industrial magnetron sputtering system on the cutting blades made of sintered carbide WC-Co, while TiN single layer coating was deposited by evaporation using thermionic arc. In the case of TiN/AlTiN nanolayer coatings the thickness of the individual TiN and AlTiN layer was in the 5–10 nm range, depending on the substrate vertical position. The microstructure and chemical composition of coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) method. Additionally, in the case of the TiN/AlTiN coating, which was characterized by the best durability characteristics, the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods were applied. The coatings adhesion to the substrate was analyzed by scratch test method combined with optical microscopy. Nano-hardness and durability tests were performed with uncoated and coated blades using chipboard. The best results durability characteristics were observed for TiN/AlTiN nanolayered coating. Performance tests of knives protected with TiN and TiAlSiN hard coatings did not show significantly better results compared to uncoated ones.

In this work, AlCr and AlCrFe coatings were deposited via magnetron sputtering on technical substrates of carbon steel C45 and titanium grade 2. The coatings feature an amorphous structure, a thickness of 3–4 μm, and are uniform in terms of thickness and chemical composition. No major defects were visible at the interface; however, there is no diffusion at the interface, which indicates the adhesive type of bonding and results in relatively low adhesion. The coatings are characterized by a hardness of about 8–10 GPa and a Young modulus above 150 GPa. Both values are slightly higher for steel substrate. The coatings assure good corrosion resistance for steel substrate while underperforming those of Ti grade 2.

In this paper, glow nitriding processes at cathode potential are used at various temperatures to investigate how they affect the corrosion resistance of 316L steel in ethanol at temperatures of 22 °C and −30 °C. Lowering the test temperature reduces the corrosion rate of the nitrided layers. Conversely, glow nitriding at 450 °C improves the corrosion resistance of the tested steel. Increasing the nitriding temperature to 520 °C increases the corrosion rate. It should be noted that the ethyl alcohol solution, due to the lack of aggressive ions, does not cause significant changes in the corrosion rate of the steel. The value of the corrosion current varies in the range of 10⁻²–10⁻³ µA/cm². Nitrided layers increase the contact angle measured for water and are entirely wettable for ethanol. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the nitriding temperature of AISI 316L steel on its corrosion resistance in an ethanol solution at room temperature and at −30 °C.

This work presents the potential for using pulsed gas injection to produce amorphous carbon films. In this experiment, the frequency of injecting small amounts of gas was used to control the pressure amplitudes, thus achieving the conditions of plasma generation from stationary, through quasi-stationary, to pulsed oscillations of pressure. In addition, we used various gases and their mixtures, an alternative to argon. In the experiment, we studied the energy state of the plasma. The films were examined for phase and chemical composition, surface morphology, and optical and mechanical properties. We determined low-frequency pulsed gas injections to be conditions favorable for $C\left({sp}^3\right)-C\left({sp}^3\right)$ bond formation. The plasma generated by gas injections is better ionized than that generated by static pressure. Pulsed conditions favor the plasma species to retain their kinetic energy, limiting the probability of intermolecular collision events. Since helium has a relatively high ionization energy, it is a practical addition to sputtering gas because of the increasing sp³ content in the films. The electrons created by helium ionization improve the plasma’s ionization degree.