目的 在现代机械加工中,难加工材料的应用使刀具面临极端工况,刀具涂层性能直接决定刀具寿命、加工效率与质量。本研究的核心目的是提升刀具涂层极端工况综合性能,解决涂层相关刀具失效问题,为涂层优化升级提供技术参考,拓展刀具在难加工材料切削中的应用。方法 采用电弧离子镀技术,通过调控Ti靶电流参数,制备了DLC涂层、AlCrN-DLC复合涂层及三种不同Ti含量的AlCrTiN-DLC复合涂层,系统探究Ti含量对涂层微观结构、力学及摩擦学性能的影响。结果 Ti靶电流对涂层结构与性能影响显著,电流参数为90 A时制备的AlCrTiN-DLC涂层形成致密非晶-纳米晶复合结构,其晶粒尺寸最小（13.22 nm）,力学性能最优（硬度39.7 GPa,结合力临界载荷52.45 N）,摩擦学性能最佳（摩擦系数0.267,磨损率为1.29×10-6 mm3/(N·m)）,磨痕最浅窄。Ti靶电流达100 A时,涂层相分离,结构与性能明显下降。结论 研究明确了Ti含量对涂层结构与性能的影响机制,确定90 A为制备高性能AlCrTiN-DLC复合涂层的最优Ti靶电流,该涂层可提升刀具极端工况服役性能。成果丰富了复合涂层制备理论,为涂层配方设计与工艺改进提供了理论依据,对其实际应用具有重要指导意义。
Abstract
The work aims to innovatively regulate Ti target current via arc ion plating (AIP) technology to prepare DLC, AlCrN-DLC and three AlCrTiN-DLC composite coatings with gradient Ti contents, systematically investigating the intrinsic mechanism of Ti contents on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings, and determining the optimal process parameter for fabricating high-performance tool coatings. The substrates (cemented carbide, stainless steel, monocrystalline Si) were pretreated by alternate cleaning and glow discharge, and the deposition was conducted with AlCr target current set at 80 A, C target current set at 60 A, and Ti target current set at 0 A, 80 A, 90 A and 100 A, under the working pressure 2.8 Pa, substrate bias -200 V and deposition temperature 150 ℃ for 80 min. The microstructure was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS and XPS, the mechanical properties including hardness, elastic modulus and critical load were tested by nanoindentation and scratch tester and the tribological behavior was evaluated via UMT-TRIBOLAB with Al2O3 ball as friction pair under 2 N load and 120 r/min rotation speed. XRD results revealed that Ti target current induced a structural transition from solid solution strengthening to phase separation in AlCrTiN-DLC coatings. At 90 A, Ti reached the solid solubility limit, forming a dense amorphous-nanocrystalline composite structure composed of fcc-(Al,Cr,Ti)(C,N) solid solution with the smallest grain size of 13.22 nm and lattice constant of 4.17 Å, where (200) was the preferred growth plane and (220) texture was enhanced. When the current rose to 100 A, phase separation occurred, generating new phases such as hcp-Ti2AlN, c-Cr2Ti and c-AlTi3, leading to grain coarsening to 20.31 nm. XPS characterization further confirmed that 90 A was the critical point for carbon bonding and nanostructure synergistic strengthening: Ti-C bonds formed at this current, and N atoms preferentially combined with Ti due to the higher Ti-N bond energy (476 kJ/mol) than Al-N (297 kJ/mol) and Cr-N (414 kJ/mol), while excessive Ti at 100 A consumed free Ti to form nitrides, inhibiting TiC generation. Mechanical properties of the coatings exhibited a first increase then decrease trend with the rise of Ti target current, achieving the optimal at 90 A: the hardness and elastic modulus reached 39.708 GPa and 499.534 GPa, H/E and H3/E*2 were 0.079 and 0.248 GPa, and the critical load of film-substrate bonding force peaked at 52.45 N. The scratch test showed that the coating at 90 A presented ductile failure mode with gradual stress release, while other coatings showed brittle failure with sudden signal mutation, which was attributed to the synergistic effect of hard fcc-(Al,Cr,Ti)(C,N) phase and tough amorphous DLC matrix that delayed crack initiation and propagation. Tribological tests indicated that the friction coefficient and wear rate of the coatings displayed a trend of rising first, then falling and rising again. The pure DLC coating had excellent self-lubricity with a friction coefficient of 0.183, while the AlCrN-DLC coating at 0 A showed the worst tribological properties (friction coefficient 0.587, wear rate 2.36×10-8 mm3/(N·m)) due to brittle phase spalling. The AlCrTiN-DLC coating at 90 A achieved the optimal tribological properties with the lowest friction coefficient (0.267) and wear rate (1.29×10-8 mm3/(N·m)), and the shallowest and narrowest wear scar (0.81 μm in depth, 0.215 mm in width). The excellent wear resistance was derived from the high H3/E*2 value and the dense amorphous- nanocrystalline composite structure, which effectively resisted the intrusion of friction pair and inhibited grain boundary slip. However, the precipitation of metastable phases at 100 A led to loose structure and sharp decline of tribological properties, with the wear scar deteriorating to 1.32 μm in depth and 0.25 mm in width. This work clarifies the quantitative relationship between Ti target current and the structure-performance of AlCrTiN-DLC composite coatings, and identifies 90 A as the optimal Ti target current for preparing high-performance coatings. The prepared coating with amorphous-nanocrystalline composite structure realizes the synergistic optimization of hardness, bonding force and tribological properties, which provides a precise process reference for the formulation optimization of tool coatings and their application in cutting difficult-to-machine materials under extreme working conditions.
关键词
电弧离子镀 /
AlCrTiN-DLC复合涂层 /
Ti靶电流 /
性能调控
Key words
arc ion plating /
AlCrTiN-DLC composite coatings /
Ti target current /
property regulation
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基金
京津冀基础研究合作专项（25JJJJC0019）; 内蒙古自治区自然科学基金重点项目（2025ZDLH004）
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