Microstructure, mechanical properties and tribo-corrosion mechanism of (CrNbTiAlVMo)xN1-x coated 316 L stainless steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution

(CrNbTiAlVMo)(x)N1-x coatings were deposited on 316 L steel by sputtering method. The structure, mechanical and tribo-corrosion performances of the coating were studied. The results show that all coatings exhibit single FCC structure. With the increase of Mo content, the surface particle size increases, and the orientation changes from (111) to (200). The maximum hardness reaches 44.3 GPa and the corresponding elastic modulus is 405 GPa. Tribo-corrosion test show that the coatings exhibit better resistance to tribo-corrosion than 316 L steel. The coating with 8 at% Mo content has the lowest static current density (7.49 x 10(-9) A/cm(2)) and dynamic current density (9.33 x 10(-8) A/cm(2)), while the coating with 32 at% Mo content shows the smallest wear volume. The related synergistic mechanism of tribo-corrosion was discussed.

Automated summary

In this study, (CrNbTiAlVMo)(x)N1-x coatings were deposited on 316 L steel by sputtering method, and their structure, mechanical and tribo-corrosion performances were investigated. The results showed that the coatings had a single FCC structure, and the particle size and orientation changed with the increase of Mo content. The coatings exhibited high hardness and elastic modulus, and better resistance to tribo-corrosion compared to 316 L steel.