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Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials

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A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 18155

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Dr. Ivan A. Pelevin

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Guest Editor

Catalysis Lab, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Interests: engineering metallic and composite materials; aluminum-based matrix composites; additive manufacturing; 3D printing of metallic materials; selective laser melting; laser powder bed fusion; hard magnetic materials; rare-earth intermetallics; rare-earth-based permanent magnets

Dr. Dmitriy Yu. Ozherelkov

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Guest Editor

Catalysis Lab, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Interests: mechanical properties of materials; mechanical properties characterization; microstructural features in construction materials; aluminum alloys and composites based on them; Ni-based alloys; Ti-based alloys; surface-hardening methods
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ongoing development of both engineering and functional materials is leading to greater new requirements on their surface properties. In most cases, a special coating or surface modification is required to increase mechanical characteristics or to protect the material from external conditions. A detailed study of surface morphology and properties of materials is the key to understanding how to further improve it. The improvement could be reached through surface modification or coating creation through a wide range of methods. The interface zone between bulk material and modified surface layer/coating is of great importance, since strong bonding is required. Thus, the improvement of surface properties is a complex and versatile field of knowledge, and its development can only be achieved through the joint effort of scientific groups focusing on different parts of the problem.

Surface modification and coating of feedstock materials (powders, fibers, etc.) further used for synthesis (powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, spraying, etc.) could be highlighted as a promising direction for investigation. Core–shell-type particles, modification of reinforcement to stronger adhesion/bonding, grain boundary and interparticle infiltration, and other approaches have shown impressive results, both for construction and functional materials.

The current Special Issue is open for papers focusing on the following concepts:

Deep physical and chemical analysis of microstructure features of surface areas within various engineering and functional materials.
Theoretical and experimental research of microstructure behavior during surface modification or coating.
Creating multi-layered coatings as model objects for the new generation of multi-materials.
Approaches of feedstock materials modification and effect on further synthesis process and final properties of materials.
Surface microstructure and property peculiarities of additive manufactured metallic and composite materials, including in-situ modification, subsequent treatments, etc.

Dr. Ivan A. Pelevin
Dr. Dmitriy Yu. Ozherelkov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

surface modification
interface microstructure
core-shell structures
protective coatings
multi-layered structures

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 163 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue: Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials

by Ivan A. Pelevin and Dmitriy Yu. Ozherelkov

Coatings 2022, 12(7), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12071016 - 18 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1057

Abstract

The ongoing development of both engineering and functional materials is leading to new requirements in terms of their surface properties [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 8430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Argon Glow Plasma Pretreatment of Pure Ta on Hf Coating Preparation

by Kai Yang, Bo Dang, Xingqi Jia, Fenghua Lu, Feng Ding, Fengkun Li, Dongbo Wei and Pingze Zhang

Coatings 2023, 13(9), 1605; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13091605 - 14 Sep 2023

Viewed by 595

Abstract

In order to enhance the bonding strength between coatings and substrates, argon glow plasma pretreatment with various times was conducted on tantalum substrates, followed by hafnium coating deposition. The coating, consisting of deposition and a diffusion layer with nanocrystalline grains of dimensions ranging from 10 to 20 nm, obtained on the substrate pretreated for 1 h, manifested the optimal structure, with a maximum thickness of approximately 14 μm and the best adhesion performance of approximately 9.5 N. The study found that the pretreatment led to grain refinement at a depth of approximately 150 nm and an increase in the crystal face spacing of substrate and high-energy defects. In addition, the crystal defects and lightly increased surface roughness enhanced the surface energy, while the Ta (200) and Ta (211) crystal faces, which had a lower combination energy and a more stable state with Hf atoms than the Ta (110) crystal face, were considerably increased on pretreated substrates with a decrease in the Ta (110) crystal face. Consequently, coating elements exhibited enhanced diffusion within the substrate, leading to the better formation of a gradient structure, which effectively improved the adhesion of coatings. Further, this study offers an efficacious approach to enhance coating adhesion and provides a deeper understanding of plasma pretreatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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13 pages, 5547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition, Structure, and Physical Properties of AlN Films Produced via Pulsed DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

by Vladimir R. Shayapov, Alena L. Bogoslovtseva, Sergey Yu. Chepkasov, Igor P. Asanov, Evgeny A. Maksimovskiy, Aleksandr V. Kapishnikov, Maria I. Mironova, Alina V. Lapega and Pavel V. Geydt

Coatings 2023, 13(7), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13071281 - 21 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1071

Abstract

The chemical composition, structure, and physical properties of aluminum nitride (AlN) films obtained using pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering in asymmetric bipolar mode have been studied. X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction confirmed the composition of c–axis textured hexagonal AlN films required for piezoelectric applications. The surface of the films obtained is quite smooth; the arithmetic average roughness does not exceed 2 nm. Transmission electron microscopy has shown the presence of a transition layer at the film–substrate interface. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile analysis have shown that the films have an oxidized surface layer which has an influence on the optical model of the films derived from ellipsometric data. However, it does not significantly influence the films’ piezoresponse. Piezoelectric force microscopy indicated a piezoelectric effect in the films that is uniform over their surface. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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12 pages, 4060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Superlubricity of Titanium Alloy Enabled by MoS₂ Flakes and a-C:H Film

by Weipeng Liu, Wenchao Wu, Muhammad Chhattal, Qingkai Zheng, Xinchen Gao, Kexin Ren, Guangqiao Liu, Zhongrong Geng and Zhenbin Gong

Coatings 2023, 13(5), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13050820 - 23 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

Titanium alloys are often used in engineering fields including aerospace, cryogenic technologies, and weaponry due to their remarkable qualities. However, several issues including a high coefficient of friction, weak wear resistance, and low hardness hinder their widespread usage. Despite several efforts to enhance their tribology, achieving ultra-low friction on titanium alloy surfaces remains a challenging problem in materials science. Here, we report on the superlubricity of a MoS₂ + a-C:H (Mo-a films) composite film, prepared by magnetron sputtering and spraying to lubricate titanium alloy surfaces. Robust superlubricity was achieved by the Mo-a composite films with a coefficient of friction (COF) below 0.007 in a helium environment. Compared to the reference titanium alloy substrates, the introduction of Mo-a composite film reduced the friction coefficient to roughly 1%, and the a-C:H film reduced wear by three orders of magnitude. High-resolution characterizations indicate that this enhanced tribology can be attributed to the formation of transfer film, which is enriched with nanostructured graphene sheets and MoS₂ nanoscrolls, and is formed due to shear stress-induced structural transformation of a-C:H films and MoS₂ nanosheets. This transfer film transitioned the initial high-resistance steel-to-a-C:H contact to super low-resistance steel-to-transfer film contact, thus achieving superlubricity and a remarkable wear reduction. This work outlines a pathway to solving the poor wear resistance and high friction coefficient problem of titanium alloy surfaces, which can be an important guideline for applications of titanium alloys in mechanical engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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15 pages, 6113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Cr on the Surface Properties of the Micro-Textured WC+Co Alloy Coating

by Xin Tong, Qiang Qu, Yu Zhang and Pei Han

Coatings 2023, 13(4), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13040731 - 03 Apr 2023

Viewed by 865

Abstract

In this paper, we investigated the effect of Cr on the surface properties of the micro-textured WC+Co alloy coating. An interactive test was designed that considered the parameters of an AlSiTiN coating and an AlSiTiN–AlCrN double coating. Using hardness and phase composition as evaluation criteria, the influence of Cr on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the coating surface was analyzed. A friction and wear test platform was formed to explore the mechanism of the Cr influence on the friction performance and wear state of the coating surface. The results show that Cr leads to the generation of the α-Cr phase particles in the surface structure of the specimen. They easily combine with C to form carbides, which improve the coating hardness; the atomic radius of Cr is smaller than that of Al, so it can dissolve in AlN. This induces lattice distortion, changing the phase composition in the structure; the coating with Cr exhibits better surface friction performance and wear morphology, simultaneously generating enhanced mechanical vibrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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17 pages, 4463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Matching of Surface Texture Parameters and Processing Parameters of Coated Cemented Carbide Tools

by Haochuan Yang, Shucai Yang and Xin Tong

Coatings 2023, 13(4), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13040681 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1056

Abstract

Placing micro-textures on a tool surface can play an anti-wear and friction-reducing role and capture impurities and improve the tool-chip friction state, thus improving the cutting performance of the tool and the quality of the workpiece. To ensure the processing quality in the micro-texture-coated tool-cutting process, the process parameters and micro-texture parameters are limited to smaller parameters, which reduces the processing efficiency and increases the cost. Aiming at this problem, this paper designs orthogonal experiments of the cutting process and micro-texture parameters, builds an experimental platform for milling titanium alloy with a micro-texture-coated ball-end milling cutter, analyzes the influence of cutting parameters on tool milling performance and workpiece quality, establishes a high fitting prediction model, and optimizes parameters. The results show that the cutting parameters significantly affect the milling force, tool wear, and workpiece surface roughness, which are in the first response level, and the micro-texture parameters, which are in the second response level. It is proven that micro-texture has anti-wear and anti-friction effects, and it is found that micro-texture parameters affect the evaluation index by changing the distribution state of the micro-texture. It is found that the multiple linear regression model fits better. Parameter optimization results are: v = 159.4232 (m/min), a_p = 0.211 (mm), f = 0.06 (mm/r), micro-pit diameter D = 62.3429 (μm), distance from blade L = 121.5184 (μm), and micro-pit spacing L₁ = 235.6443 (μm). It provides some guidance for the selection of micro-texture parameters and cutting parameters on a micro-texture-coated tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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16 pages, 4925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cutting Energy Consumption Modelling of End Milling Cutter Coated with AlTiCrN

by Yue Meng, Xinsheng Sun, Shengming Dong, Yue Wang and Xianli Liu

Coatings 2023, 13(4), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13040679 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1077

Abstract

As an indispensable piece of equipment in the manufacturing industry, the machine tool is low-energy-efficiency and high-energy-consumption in operation. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a cutting energy consumption model to guide production and reduce the energy consumption of the machining process. In this paper, the AlTiCrN-coated cutting tool is taken as the object of study, and the cutting energy consumption model is established. The cutting energy consumption model is composed of a machining time model and a cutting power model. The cutting power model can be divided into the shear deformation power model of the workpiece, the friction power model of the flank surface and the friction power model of the rake surface. The influence of the edge shape is taken into account in the establishment of the friction power model of the flank surface. The machining time model considering the S-type acceleration and deceleration stage is established. The accuracy of the model was verified by experiments. Experimental results show that the model has high accuracy. The Taguchi method was used to carry out the numerical experiment with the cutting energy consumption of the machine tool as the response. The influences of cutting parameters on energy consumption are analyzed. Cutting width is the most important factor, followed by cutting depth, then feed rate and spindle speed. The physical principle of the influence of cutting parameters on cutting energy consumption is revealed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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11 pages, 2739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fluorination of TiN, TiO₂, and SiO₂ Surfaces by HF toward Selective Atomic Layer Etching (ALE)

by Ju Hyeon Jung, Hongjun Oh and Bonggeun Shong

Coatings 2023, 13(2), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020387 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4063

Abstract

As semiconductor devices become miniaturized, the importance of the molecular-level understanding of the fabrication processes is growing. Titanium nitride (TiN) is an important material utilized in various architectural components of semiconductor devices requiring precise control over size and shape. A reported process for atomic layer etching (ALE) of TiN involves surface oxidation into titanium oxide (TiO₂) and selective oxidized layer removal by hydrogen fluoride (HF). However, the chemical selectivity of these Ti-based materials in the etching process by HF remains unclear. In this study, computational chemistry methods utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to the fluorination reactions of TiN, TiO₂, and SiO₂ to identify and compare the surface chemical reactivity of these substrates toward etching processes. It is shown that the materials can be etched using HF, leaving TiF₄ and SiF₄ as the byproducts. However, while such a TiN reaction is thermodynamically hindered, the etching of TiO₂ and SiO₂ is suggested to be favorable. Our study provides theoretical insights into the fluorination reactivity of TiN, which has not been reported previously regardless of technological importance. Furthermore, we explore the etching selectivity between TiN, TiO₂, and SiO₂, which is a crucial factor in the ALE process conditions of TiN. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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22 pages, 10951 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Structure, Morphology, Optical and Electrical Properties of AlN–Al–V Multilayer Thin Films Fabricated by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering

by Maria I. Mironova, Aleksandr V. Kapishnikov, Ghaithaa A. Hamoud, Vladimir A. Volodin, Ivan A. Azarov, Ivan D. Yushkov, Gennadiy N. Kamaev, Evgeny A. Suprun, Nikita A. Chirikov, Nadim A. Davletkildeev, Alexey N. Baidakov, Vladimir S. Kovivchak, Larisa V. Baranova, Vladimir I. Strunin and Pavel V. Geydt

Coatings 2023, 13(2), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020223 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1863

Abstract

Composite thin films of the AlN–Al–V type, grown by magnetron sputtering, were analyzed by several complementary diagnostic methods. The power of the magnetron was used as a variable parameter, while gas flows, chamber pressure, and substrate temperature remained unchanged during the film fabrication. According to grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) results, in most cases, it was possible to obtain an (002)-oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) layer in the films, although, with an increase in the magnetron power to 800 W, the formation of X-ray amorphous AlN was observed. Similarly, according to the Raman results, the width of the peak of the vibrational mode E1, which characterizes the correlation length of optical phonons, also significantly increased in the case of the sample obtained at 800 W, which may indicate a deterioration in the crystallinity of the film. A study of the surface morphology by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the AlN film grows in the form of vertically oriented hexagons, and crystallites emerge on the surface in the form of dendritic structures. During the analysis of the AFM roughness power spectral density (PSD-x) functions, it was found that the type of substrate material does not significantly affect the surface roughness of the AlN films. According to the energy–dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) elemental analysis, an excess of aluminum was observed in all fabricated samples. The study of the current-voltage characteristics of the films showed that the resistance of aluminum nitride layers in such composites correlates with both the aluminum content and the structural imperfection of crystallites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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20 pages, 6429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Possibilities of Using the Duplex System Plasma Nitriding + CrN Coating for Special Components

by David Dobrocky, Zdenek Pokorny, Roman Vitek, Jiri Prochazka, Zbynek Studeny, Zdenek Joska, Josef Sedlak, Martin Slany and Stepan Kolomy

Coatings 2022, 12(12), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12121953 - 12 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1519

Abstract

The article deals with the replacement of hard chrome plating by applying the duplex system plasma nitriding + CrN coating (hereinafter referred to as PN + CrN). The goal of the research was to find a suitable alternative for steel surface treatment that would replace hard chrome plating and ensure similar mechanical and tribological properties. An exposed part of a small-bore weapon was selected for evaluation, namely the gas piston of the 42CrMo4 steel breech mechanism drive. The PN + CrN duplex system was compared with a hard chrome coating as well as a self-deposited CrN coating. The mentioned surface treatments were evaluated in terms of metallography, mechanical and tribological properties and surface texture. From the mechanical properties, the hardness of the surface was analyzed, an indentation test was performed (Mercedes test) and adhesive-cohesive behavior was evaluated (Scratch test). Furthermore, an instrumented penetration test was performed (an evaluation of plastic and elastic deformation work and indentation hardness). As part of the assessment of tribological properties, the Ball-on-Flat test, the measurement of the coefficient of friction and the measurement of traces of wear were performed. The surface texture was evaluated in terms of morphology and surface roughness measurement by selected 2D and 3D parameters. The PN + CrN duplex system showed higher hardness than hard chrome, better tribological properties (lower friction coefficient), but worse surface texture. The PN + CrN duplex system has proven to be a suitable alternative to the hard chrome coating for exposed parts of small-caliber weapons, which can be applied in arms production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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18 pages, 3660 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Change in Dimensions and Surface Roughness of 42CrMo4 Steel after Nitridation in Plasma and Gas

by David Dobrocky, Zdenek Pokorny, Zdenek Joska, Josef Sedlak, Jan Zouhar, Jozef Majerik, Zbynek Studeny, Jiri Prochazka and Igor Barenyi

Coatings 2022, 12(10), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12101481 - 06 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2701

Abstract

The influence of plasma nitriding and gas nitriding processes on the change of surface roughness and dimensional accuracy of 42CrMo4 steel was investigated in this paper. Both processes almost always led to changes in the surface texture. After plasma nitriding, clusters of nitride ions were formed on the surface of steel, while gas nitriding very often led to the new creation of a formation of a “plate-like” surface texture. In both cases of these processes, a compound layer in specific thickness was formed, although the parameters of the processes were chosen with the aim of suppressing it. After the optimizing of nitriding parameters during nitriding processes, it was found that there were no changes in the surface roughness evaluated using the Ra parameter. However, it turned out that when using a multi-parameter evaluation of roughness (the parameters Rz, Rsk and Rku were used), there were presented some changes in roughness due to nitriding processes, which affect the functional behavior of the components. Roughness changes were also detected by evaluating surface roughness profiles, where nitriding led to changes in peak heights and valley depths. Nitriding processes further led to changes in dimensions in the form of an increase of 0.032 mm on average. However, the magnitude of the change has some context on chemical composition of material. A larger increase in dimensions was found with gas nitriding. The change in the degree of IT accuracy is closely related to the change in dimension. For both processes, there was a change of one degree of IT accuracy compared to the ground part (from IT8 to IT9). On the basis of the achieved dimensional accuracy results, a coefficient of change in the degree of accuracy IT was created, which can be used to predict changes in the dimensional accuracy of ground surfaces after nitriding processes in degrees of accuracy IT3–IT10. In this study, a tool for predicting changes in degrees of accuracy of ground parts after nitriding processes is presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification of Engineering and Functional Materials)

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