Effect of chromium nitride coating on the corrosion and wear resistance of stainless steel

Ion beam-assisted deposition IBAD.technique has been used to deposit chromium nitride on the stainless steel substrates. Characterization and performance of this coating was carried out by a round-robin test at various laboratories. About 300 samples, prepared at Spire, USA, were distributed to 10 different laboratories. Characterization of coated materials, carried out using Rutherford backscattering RBS., X-ray diffraction XRD., glancing X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy AES.and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS., confirmed a well-adherent layer of chromium nitride with composition and thickness of Cr0.8N0.2 and 1.2 mm, respectively. The performance of the coating was tested by tribological tests: dynamic micro-indentation, micro-hardness, wear and friction, and corrosion tests. The coating was found to be hard with good wear resistance and had enhanced resistance to corrosion in acid media. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved