Effects of Cathodic Arc Deposition Conditions on the Microstructure, Hardness, Adhesion and Erosion Property of Tin Coating

TiN coating has a wide range of tribological applications from wear reduction of cutting tools to erosion protection of gas turbine engine compressor components. The performance of TiN coating depends on its microstructure, mechanical properties and adhesion strength which are influenced by the coating deposition process. In this study the effects of cathodic arc deposition conditions on the microstructure, hardness, adhesion and erosion resistance of TiN coating were investigated experimentally. It was found that varying deposition temperature, substrate bias and N2 pressure could derive a processing window in which TiN coating with superior erosion performance can be fabricated.