Open Access
Mechanical performance of AlCrSiN and AlTiSiN coatings on inconel and steel substrates after thermal treatments
(MDPI, 2022) Liang, Jing; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Ortiz Membrado, Laia; Rodríguez Lozano, Rafael; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; García Fuentes, Gonzalo; Llanes, Luis; Jiménez-Piqué, Emilio; Ciencias; Zientziak; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
The objective of this study was to explore the mechanical properties of AlCrSiN and AlTiSiN coatings deposited on Inconel and steel substrates after thermal treatments of 500 °C and 800 °C. Nanoindentation was used to measure the hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings, and microindentation was used for observing the contact damage with Hertzian contact loadings. Microscratch and Mercedes tests were used to evaluate the adhesive strength between coating and substrate with both progressive and static loads, respectively. The surface damage was inspected by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Focus ion beams (FIB) were used to mill the cross-sections in order to detect the extent and mode of failure. The results show that AlCrSiN coatings and Inconel substrates exhibit better mechanical performance, even after thermal treatments.
Open Access
Development of an irradiation equipment to accelerate the degradation of rosé wine in antique green and flint bottles
(Elsevier, 2023) Moriones, Jennifer; Jiménez Moreno, Nerea; Ancín Azpilicueta, Carmen; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Navarcorena, Beatriz; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Esparza Catalán, Irene; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
Flint bottles make ros´e wines more attractive to the customers and, also, allow them to detect oxidation problems in the color of these wines. Nonetheless, transparent bottles do not protect wines from light. In this work, a device capable of accelerating the degradation of ros´e wines using W lamps radiation for short times of exposure has been developed. This equipment has been used to accelerate the color photodegradation of ros´e wines, allowing, thus, to identify which parameters can be used as markers of such degradation. The irradiation treatment applied to ros´e wines bottled in different types of glass (Flint and Antique Green glass) influenced all the samples. However, the wines treated in Flint bottles displayed more important color variations, especially in color intensity (CI) and hue, than the wines treated in Antique Green bottles. These changes entailed a quality loss of ros´e wines that can be appreciated with a naked eye. The yellow component of ros´e wines treated in transparent bottles increased the detriment of the red and blue ones. Therefore, color parameters such as CI and a*, together with the total anthocyanin content, seem to be good markers of the loss of quality of ros´e wines due to the light effects. The next step will be to find a physical, chemical or physical-chemical protection strategy that, when applied to transparent glass, allow to achieve the light-filtering properties of green glass bottles.
Open Access
Improvement of the tribocorrosion properties of cemented carbide (WC-Tic-Co) samples with PVD coating
(MDPI, 2022) García Lorente, José Antonio; Claver Alba, Adrián; Marques, Mikel; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Azkona, Ibon; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2
This study aims to investigate the improvement of the tribocorrosion properties of WC-TiC-Co substrates by coating them with hard coatings such as AlCrSiN using cathodic arc deposition. WC-TiC-Co is commonly used in the fabrication of machining and cutting tools; however, there are some materials such as titanium or stainless steel that are difficult to work with; furthermore, in aggressive environments or under high temperatures the performance of the machining tools can be affected, and a failure may occur. This coating is intended to ensure the correct performance of the tools in any conditions. The coatings were characterized by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Tribocorrosion, tribology and corrosion tests were performed to evaluate the tribocorrosion properties of the samples. Furthermore, mechanical and adhesive properties of the coating were studied using scratch and nanoindentation tests. The results showed improved tribocorrosion properties in the samples combined with good adhesive and mechanical properties. These results show the possibility of using these coated materials in the most demanding cutting and machining applications.
Open Access
Improved adhesion of cathodic arc PVD AlCrSiN coating on ion-implanted WC-Co substrates
(Elsevier, 2023) Ortiz Membrado, Laia; García-González, Sandra; Orrit-Prat, Jordi; Bonet, Raül; Caro, Jaume; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Llanes, Luis; Jiménez-Piqué, Emilio; Ciencias; Zientziak
Ion implantation has been shown to improve adhesion strength of AlCrSiN coatings due to a synergic enhancement on fracture toughness and load bearing capability of the substrate that can potentially increase the in-service efficiency of coated cutting tools. In this work, AlCrSiN coatings deposited by PVD on WC-Co substrates implanted with Ti, Cr and N ion species have been processed. The mechanical properties and adhesion have been characterized by contact techniques and the residual stress of the coatings and substrates have been evaluated using FIB-DIC technique and Vickers indentation tests, respectively. An improvement of adhesion strength is obtained for treated substrates, especially for those implanted with titanium and chromium ions. This improvement is attributed to the introduction of residual stresses in the substrate, which increases its fracture toughness and enhances its load bearing capability.
Open Access
Comparative study of mechanical performance of AlCrSiN coating deposited on WC-Co and cBN hard substrates
(MDPI, 2023) Liang, Jing; Serra, Marc; Gordon, Sandra; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Llanes, Luis; Jiménez-Piqué, Emilio; Ciencias; Zientziak
The objective of this study is to explore and compare the mechanical response of AlCrSiN coatings deposited on two different substrates, namely, WC-Co and cBN. Nano-indentation was used to measure the hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings, and micro-indentation was used for observing the contact damage under Hertzian contact with monotonic and cyclic (fatigue) loads. Microscratch and contact damage tests were also used to evaluate the strength of adhesion between the AlCrSiN coatings and the two substrates under progressive and constant loads, respectively. The surface damages induced via different mechanical tests were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A focused ion beam (FIB) was used to produce a cross-section of the coating–substrate system in order to further detect the mode and extent of failure that was induced. The results show that the AlCrSiN coating deposited on the WC-Co substrate performed better in regard to adhesion strength and contact damage response than the same coating deposited on the cBN substrate; this is attributed to the lower plasticity of the cBN substrate as well as its less powerful adhesion to the coating.
Open Access
Improved adhesion and tribological properties of altin-tisin coatings deposited by dcms and hipims on nitrided tool steels
(MDPI, 2021) Claver Alba, Adrián; Randulfe Ceballos, Jesús José; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Montalá, Francesc; Colominas, Carles; Cot, Víctor; García Lorente, José Antonio; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ingeniería
Hard coatings, such as AlTiN-TiSiN, deposited by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques are widely used in industrial applications to protect and increase the lifetime of industrial components, such as cutting tools, dies, and forming tools. Despite their great properties, such as high hardness and wear and oxidation resistance, they are limited in cases of severe conditions due to the poor adhesion between the coating and the substrate. Duplex treatments have commonly been used to improve the adhesive properties of PVD coatings, especially those of the cathodic arc evaporation type. The purpose of this study is to achieve coatings with the good properties of the Magnetron Sputtering processes but with higher adhesion than that achieved with these techniques, thus achieving coatings that can be used under the most severe conditions. In this work, an AlTiN-TiSiN coating was deposited by a combination of DC Magnetron Sputtering (DCMS) and High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) after a gas nitriding pretreatment on 1.2379 and Vanadis 4 tool steels. Mechanical (ultra-microhardness and scratch tests) and tribological tests were carried out to study the improvement in the properties of the coating. Duplex-treated samples showed improved adhesion between the coating and the substrate, with second critical load (Lc2) values greater than 100 N. Furthermore, they showed great toughness and wear resistance. These results show that this type of coating technique could be used in the most extreme applications and that they can compete with other techniques and coatings that to date they have not been able to compete with.
Open Access
Comparative study of tribomechanical properties of HiPIMS with positive pulses DLC coatings on different tools steels
(MDPI, 2021) Claver Alba, Adrián; Jiménez-Piqué, Emilio; Almandoz Sánchez, Eluxka; Fernández de Ara, Jonathan; Fernández, Iván; Santiago, José A.; Barba Areso, Eneko; García Lorente, José Antonio; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ingeniería
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are very interesting due to their extraordinary properties; their excellent wear resistance, very low friction coefficient, great hardness, high elastic modulus or biocompatibility can be highlighted, as can their multifunctionality. Because of this, over recent decades they have been widely used in tribological applications, improving the performance and the useful life of machining tools in an effective way. However, these coatings have a disadvantage compared to other coatings deposited by commercially available techniques-their resultant adhesion is worse than that of other techniques and limits their industrial applications. In this work, tribological results of a scratch test, wear resistance and nanoindentation of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) and tungsten carbide:carbon (WC:C) DLC coatings deposited by means of novel highpower impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology with positive pulses are reported. The coatings were deposited in three different tools steels: K360, vanadis 4 and vancron. These tools' steels are very interesting because of their great and wide industrial applicability. Experimental results showed excellent tribological properties, such as resistance to wear or adhesion, in the two types of DLC coatings.