Samara National Research University (Samara, Russia)

O. S. Bondareva, Cand. Eng., Associate Prof., Dept. of Metal Technology and Aviation Materials Science, osbond@yandex.ru
M. G. Giorbelidze, Head of the Dept. of Standardization, Metrology, Technical Control, and Quality, Scientific Supervisor for Special Coating Application
A. N. Asmolov, Engineer, Dept. of Aircraft Manufacturing and Quality Management in Mechanical Engineering
A. A. Melnikov, Cand. Eng., Associate Prof., Dept. of Metal Technology and Aviation Materials Science

This paper presents the results of a study of the influence of vacuum ion-plasma deposition process parameters on the structure, mechanical, and adhesive properties of titanium nitride (TiN) coatings deposited on 12Kh18N10T stainless steel substrates. For the first time, a systematic analysis of the combined influence of two key factors—the operating voltage (100, 170, and 250 V) and the position of the samples on the planetary table inside the deposition chamber—was conducted, which made it possible to identify their relationship with the resulting coating characteristics. Using a combination of complementary methods: scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis, spherical section, microindentation, and sclerometry, the microstructure, elemental composition, thickness, microhardness, and adhesive strength of the resulting coatings were evaluated. It was found that maximum microhardness, greatest thickness, and increased adhesive strength are achieved at a voltage of 250 V for samples oriented plane-up in the central zone of the chamber. Under these conditions, the densest and most uniform coating structure with minimal porosity is formed. It was shown that reducing the voltage to 100 V and placing the samples at the periphery of the chamber significantly degrades the coating’s performance: a 60 % reduction in coating hardness and a 2-3-fold decrease in coating thickness, which is due to insufficient ion flux energy. These results offer practical implications for optimizing industrial processes for depositing wear-resistant coatings.

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