Coatings in a Zr-Mo-Si-B-N system were deposited by the magnetron sputtering of ZrB₂-MoSi₂ targets in argon and nitrogen. The structure of the coatings was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy. Mechanical and tribological properties were measured using nanoindentation and pin-on-disc testing. Oxidation resistance and oxidation kinetics were estimated via annealing in air at 1000–1500 °C and precision weight measurements. We found that the coatings deposited in Ar demonstrate a superior combination of properties, including hardness of 36 GPa, elastic recovery of 84%, a friction coefficient of 0.6, and oxidation resistance at temperatures up to 1200 °C. High oxidation resistance is realized due to the formation of the protective (SiO₂ + ZrO₂)/SiO₂ oxide layer, which inhibits the diffusion of oxygen into the coating.

Coatings formed on steel 40Kh by electrospark alloying (ESA) using TiC–NiCr and TiC–NiCr–Eu2O3electrodes are investigated. The coatings are deposited using an Alier-Metal 303 installation...

The coatings ZrB₂ and Zr-B-N were deposited by magnetron sputtering of ZrB₂ target in Ar and Ar–15%N₂ atmospheres. The structure and properties of the coatings were investigated via scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersion analysis, optical profilometry, glowing discharge optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated using nanoindentation, “pin-on-disc” tribological testing and “ball-on-plate” impact testing. Free corrosion potential and corrosion current density were measured by electrochemical testing in 1 N H₂SO₄ and 3.5%NaCl solutions. The oxidation resistance of the coatings was investigated in the 600–800 °C temperature interval. The coatings deposited in Ar contained 4–11 nm grains of the h-ZrB₂ phase along with free boron. Nitrogen-containing coatings consisted of finer crystals (1–4 nm) of h-ZrB₂, separated by interlayers of amorphous a-BN. Both types of coatings featured hardness of 22–23 GPa; however, the introduction of nitrogen decreased the coating’s elastic modulus from 342 to 266 GPa and increased the elastic recovery from 62 to 72%, which enhanced the wear resistance of the coatings. N-doped coatings demonstrated a relatively low friction coefficient of 0.4 and a specific wear rate of ~1.3 × 10⁻⁶ mm³N⁻¹m⁻¹. Electrochemical investigations revealed that the introduction of nitrogen into the coatings resulted in the decrease of corrosion current density in 3.5% NaCl and 1 N H₂SO₄ solution up to 3.5 and 5 times, correspondingly. The superior corrosion resistance of Zr-B-N coatings was related to the finer grains size and increased volume of the BN phase. The samples ZrB₂ and Zr-B-N resisted oxidation at 600 °C. N-free coatings resisted oxidation (up to 800 °C) and the diffusion of metallic elements from the substrate better. In contrast, Zr-B-N coatings experienced total oxidation and formed loose oxide layers, which could be easily removed from the substrate.

Coatings were deposited by pulsed cathodic arc evaporation (PCAE) of a TiC–NiCr–Eu₂O₃ cathode fabricated by the powder metallurgy method. The deposition was carried out in different gas media, including Ar, N₂, and C₂H₄. The structure, elemental, and phase compositions of coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). Coatings were tested in terms of their hardness, elastic modulus, elastic recovery, friction coefficient, and wear and corrosion resistance. The obtained results demonstrated that the coatings deposited in Ar possessed higher hardness up to 20 GPa and an elastic recovery of 92%. Coatings produced using C₂H₄ showed the minimum friction coefficient (0.35 ± 0.01). The use of nitrogen as a gas medium led to the formation of coatings with the best corrosion resistance in sulfuric acid. Coatings formed in N₂ had a free corrosion potential of +0.28 V and a corrosion current density of 0.012 µA/cm².

Coatings in the Ta-Zr-Si-B-C-N system were produced by magnetron sputtering of a TaSi₂-Ta₃B₄-(Ta,Zr)B₂ ceramic target in the Ar medium and Ar-N₂ and Ar-C₂H₄ gas mixtures. The structure and composition of coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, energy-dispersion spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Mechanical and tribological properties of coatings were determined using nanoindentation and pin-on-disk tests using 100Cr6 and Al₂O₃ balls. The oxidation resistance of coatings was evaluated by microscopy and X-ray diffraction after annealing in air at temperatures up to 1200 °C. The reactively-deposited coatings containing from 30% to 40% nitrogen or carbon have the highest hardness up to 29 GPa and elastic recovery up to 78%. Additionally, coatings with a high carbon content demonstrated a low coefficient of friction of 0.2 and no visible signs of wear when tested against 100Cr6 ball. All coatings except for the non-reactive ones can resist oxidation up to a temperature of 1200 °C thanks to the formation of a protective film based on Ta₂O₅ and SiO₂ on their surface. Coatings deposited in Ar-N₂ and Ar-C₂H₄ demonstrated superior resistance to thermal cycling in conditions 20-T−20 °C (where T = 200–1000 °C). The present article compares the structure and properties of reactive and “standard-inert atmosphere” deposited coatings to develop recommendations for optimizing the composition.

In this study, hard wear-resistant Ti-Si-C coatings were deposited on Cu-Cr materials to improve their performance as sliding electrical contact materials. A ceramic disk composed of Ti₃SiC₂ and TiC phases was used as a target for DC magnetron sputtering to deposit the coatings. The influence of the power supplied to the magnetron on the chemical composition, structure, and friction coefficient of the coatings was examined. The coatings demonstrated high hardness (23–25 GPa), low wear rate (1–3 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N/m) and electrical resistance (300 μOhm·cm), and fair resistance to electroerosion. The coating deposited at 450 W for 30 min displayed optimal properties for protecting the Cu-Cr alloy from the arc effect.