Influence of the Structure and Elemental Composition on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of (TiZrHfVNb)N Nanostructured Coatings

Abstract

This paper investigates nitride high-entropy alloys (TiZrHfVNb)N, fabricated by the cathode vacuum-arc evaporation, using different complementary methods. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive analysis (SEM with EDS) and proton microbeam (μ-PIXE) were used to perform elemental structural analysis; X-ray diffraction analysis with "α-sin2ψ" measurements of a stress-strain state was used for investigation of phase composition and structure. Microhardness and tribological tests were used to perform mechanical and tribological analysis of nitride high-entropy alloys. It was found, that investigated coatings have single-phase state with fcc lattice. In addition, (TiZrHfVNb)N coatings demonstrate high hardness (up to 44.34 GPa) and good wear resistance. The influence of deposition parameters (substrate voltage bias and working gas pressure) on elemental distribution, phase structure, hardness and Young modulus, and the influence of thermal annealing on the phase structure were shown. Show more