Advanced surfaces processing technologies for automobile’s parts and subsystems manufacturing industry – TAPS-AUTO

Funding agency:  PNCDI II - CNMP, Project no. 72-207 / 2008

Coordinator: Pitesti University – Research Centre for Advanced Materials - UPIT-CCMA

Partner project manager Prof. Dr. Viorel Malinovschi

Partners:

P1. National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics - INOE2000

Partner project manager Dr. Viorel Braic

P2. “Politehnica” University Bucharest - CCMA

Partner project manager Prof. Prof. Dan Constantinescu

P3. National Research And Development Institute For Cryogenic And Isotopic Technologies I.C.S.I. Ramnicu Valcea,

Partner project manager Dr. Daniela Ion-Ebrasu

Objective

New materials with low wear and low friction properties

Specific objectives for INOE 2000:

v Competencies in developing duplex technology: diffusional treatment and coating deposition;

v Surface treatment of specific bulk alloys enabling superior tribological properties

Results

Steels can have their fatigue strength, wear, corrosion resistance, and surface hardness increased by using ion nitriding, a glow discharge surface modification technique.

Using d.c. glow discharge technology, plasma or ion nitriding is a surface hardening technique that introduces elemental nitrogen to the metal part's surface for later diffusion into the material. The process of ion nitriding, which is utilized on ferrous materials, has been widely employed to enhance the wear, fatigue, corrosion, and friction characteristics as well as the load bearing capacity of components that are dynamically loaded. Because nitrogen atoms diffuse over great distances from the surface to the core, the nitriding reaction during the ion nitriding process happens both at the surface and in the subsurface. A fine dispersion of alloy nitrides is created when alloying elements are mixed with diffused nitrogen onto a steel surface.

Schematic view and the ion nitriding equipment

The development of duplex treatments involving plasma nitriding in conjunction with hard coating deposition has lately generated an increase interest.

Influence of the nitriding time vs. hardness Hardness of ion-nitrided M2 type HSS steel

(M1 type HSS - AISI)

Ion Ion Nitrided high speed steel +coating deposition by reactive magnetron sputtering:

High speed steel: HSS

Ion nitride HSS: HSS/L1

Papers published and presented at international conferences

1. Study of (Zr,Ti)CN, (Zr,Hf)CN and (Zr,Nb)CN films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering, M. Braic, M. Balaceanu, A. Vladescu, C.N. Zoita, V. Braic, Thin Solid Films, 519 (2011) 4092-4096, doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.375
2. Structure and properties of Zr/ZrCN coatings deposited by cathodic arc method, M. Braic, V. Braic, M. Balaceanu, C.N. Zoita, A. Kiss, A. Vladescu, A. Popescu, R. Ripeanu, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 126 (2011) 818-825, doi: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.12.036
3. Synthesis and characterization of TiN/TiAlN, ZrN/TiAlN and TiCN/ZrCN multilayered coatings deposited by the cathodic arc method, Viorel Braic, Mihai Balaceanu, Aina Vladescu, Mariana Braic, Adrian Kiss, Catalin Zoita, MAGNETRON 2008 "5e Journées sur les nouvelles tendances en procédés magnétron et arc pour le dépôt de couches minces"4 - 5 juin 2008, Lyon, France
4. On some properties of Ti and Zr nitride and oxynitride multilayer coatings deposited by the pulsed magnetron sputtering method, Mariana Braic, Mihai Balaceanu, Viorel Braic, Adrian Kiss, Catalin Zoita, Alina Vladescu, MAGNETRON 2008 "5e Journées sur les nouvelles tendances en procédés magnétron et arc pour le dépôt de couches minces"4 - 5 juin 2008, Lyon, France
5. Multilayered coatings deposited by the cathodic arc method, Mihai Balaceanu, Viorel Braic, Alina Vladescu, Mariana Braic, IX-th International Balkan Workshop on Applied Physics – IBWAP 2008, 7-9 iulie 2008, Constanta, Romania.