Hard Coatings and Basic Oxides: Resources

[Netrinobuster]

I need some general information about hard coatings and their basic oxides, but I cannot find any good links... Is it possible that you could know a link or two?

 

[bigaggie]

Stellite produces a ton of alloy coatings for various different applications. Is that what you were looking for?

http://www.stellite.com/

 

[Netrinobuster]

No, actually... I am writing a scientific paper for which I need some basic info on hard coatings. But thanks anyway! (And you do have a point, I should have been more specific about what I want...)

My main problem is that I cannot find out which are the main nitrides and oxides used in hard coatings. I have been looking everywhere for the answer and nearly every article focuses on diffrent elements!
I'm only sure about the Titanium nitrides and oxides...

 

[bigaggie]

Hmm, can't help you too much there, that stuff's way over my head. I do know that most of the coatings we use here are a blend of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium. Usually there's nickel involved. Now which ones are oxides...couldn't tell ya.

Oh, tungsten carbide, one of the hardest materials known to man, is used on the surfaces that really take a beating.

 

[MATLABdude]

Hopefully, I'm not patronizing here, but I'd suggest doing a search for tribological coatings (tribology is the study of friction and wear, basically, the interaction of surfaces) along with nitride or silicide or carbide. Assuming you're in university, you may also want to head down to the science/engineering librarian and see if your school has any of the relevant journals.

Not too sure about their oxides, since these materials are also chosen to have good corrosion resistance. Since many of these are deposited via sputtering or evaporation (PVD--physical vapour deposition) or CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition), you don't really have a very thick layer (maybe a few hundred um, max), and if these started oxidizing significantly, your hard coating might no longer be a hard coating.

EDIT: A site you may wish to peruse:
http://www.thinfilmsblog.com/2007/11/tribological-coatings-from-monlithic-to.html

 

[Netrinobuster]

Many thanks! Molybdenium was one element I hadn't checked at all. And I'll use some parts of that site, too. (I'll check all of it all once I find some time, it has very interesting articles!)

We had problems with these journals, so I have to admit it wasn't my first thought (*is embarassed*) but I checked again two days ago and found several articles. None of them talks about which oxides and nitrides are the most used, but since they solve all my other problems they may help me think of something about this one, too.

Actually, MATLABdude, Ti oxides (and others) are referred quite often at articles about hard coatings. I'm not too sure about their advantages yet, but I'll make sure to post what I'll find. :)

 

[MATLABdude]

Actually, MATLABdude, Ti oxides (and others) are referred quite often at articles about hard coatings. I'm not too sure about their advantages yet, but I'll make sure to post what I'll find. :)

fair enough, I thought you meant oxides in terms of further oxidation of the deposited coating (i.e. corrosion). Titanium and aluminum oxides are used as tribological coatings, but deposited as such, not as titanium or aluminum which then gets oxidized. Unless you count anodization, in which the 'coating' is just a thick layer of the original aluminum which has been forced to oxidize.

 

[Netrinobuster]

Oh, that's why you thought of it being strange! Yes, what I meant is pre-made oxides getting deposited. Oxidation of surfaces and the reasons one may need it is a whole other discussion. But I do wonder if a surface changed by methods as anodization would count as a thin film, now that you mention it...