Fabrication of CrAlN nanocomposite films with high hardness and excellent anti-wear performance for gear application

Abstract

CrAlN nanocomposite films with various Al contents were prepared by a reactive magnetron sputtering
technique using Cr and Al targets in the reactive gas mixture. The micro-structure, mechanical properties and
tribological behaviors of traditional CrN and newly-fabricated CrAlN nanocomposite films were compared.
XRD results showed that single-phase fcc (face-centered cubic) CrAlN films formed a solid solution whereby
Cr atoms were substituted by Al atoms. High resolution TEM results demonstrate that the CrAlN film
possesses a unique amorphous/crystalline nanocomposite micro-structure with ?5 nm crystalline uniformly
embedded into an amorphous matrix. In addition, CrAlN nanocomposite films exhibited relatively smaller
grain size and denser structure when compared with CrN films. All the CrAlN nanocomposite films with the
highest hardness being approximately 33.4 GPa exhibited much higher hardness and better wear resistance
than traditional CrN films The excellent anti-wear performance of CrAlN nanocomposite films can be
attributed to an amorphous/crystalline nanocomposite micro-structure and their high hardness. CrAlN
nanocomposite films are considered as potential protective surfaces for such kinds of moving parts as gears,
cutting tools and shafts used in engine and other mechanical mechanisms.

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Identifiers

ORCID for R.J.K. Wood: orcid.org/0000-0003-0681-9239

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