Effect of prior plasma nitriding applied to a hot-work tool steel on the scratch-resistant properties of PACVD TiBN and TiCN coatings

Ternary TiBN and TiCN coatings on a hot-work tool steel substrate with and without plasma nitriding (PN) prior to plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) were investigated. Compositional analysis with a radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectroscope (rf-GDOES) showed mixtures of TiBN + TiN and TiCN + TiN in the PACVD TiBN and TiCN coatings, respectively. Each coating layer had a compositional gradient across the coating depth and slightly into the substrate. The microhardness profiles (HV0.1) of the substrate with and without PN from the interface with the coating to the substrate core were determined. The depth of the effective nitrided diffusion layer was confirmed from the examination of its optical microstructure. The adhesion of these two coatings to the substrate was evaluated through scratch tests in the progressive mode. It was found that with increasing load, both of the coatings on the substrate with and without prior nitriding deteriorated in the same failure modes. Critical loads corresponding to the first microcracking related to cohesive failure, spallation related to adhesive failure, breakthrough and worn out were determined and used to quantify the scratch resistance of these coatings. With PN prior to PACVD, both the cohesion and adhesion properties of the TiBN and TiCN coatings were remarkably improved. This improvement was attributed to a functionally gradient hardness configuration from the coating through the nitrided diffusion layer to the substrate.