Abstract Thick nano-grained titanium nitride (TiN) coatings fabricated by reactive plasma spraying of micrometer-sized Ti powders possess very desirable properties; however, high brittleness restricts their engineering applications. Annealing processes were… Click to show full abstract
Abstract Thick nano-grained titanium nitride (TiN) coatings fabricated by reactive plasma spraying of micrometer-sized Ti powders possess very desirable properties; however, high brittleness restricts their engineering applications. Annealing processes were carried out at different temperatures in an Ar atmosphere to improve the microstructure and properties of the coatings. The microstructure of the TiN coatings as-sprayed and annealed in Ar was observed, and their fracture toughness was calculated on the basis of diamond indentation tests. The highest fracture toughness was obtained from coating annealed in Ar at 800 °C. The wear resistance of these samples was enhanced by more than 25% compared with the as-sprayed coating. The reasons for the improvements in toughness and wear resistance are discussed.
               
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