High-throughput Preparation and Abrasion Resistance of CrNbTi-based Multi-principal Element Alloy Coatings

GAN Chenxi; PU Jibin

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.014

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Surface Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (21) : 199-214. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.014

Friction, Wear and Lubrication

High-throughput Preparation and Abrasion Resistance of CrNbTi-based Multi-principal Element Alloy Coatings

GAN Chenxi^1,2, PU Jibin^1,*

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Abstract

Multi-principal-element alloy coatings (MPEACs) demonstrate exceptional mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, making them effective in mitigating damage caused by friction, corrosion and their coupled effect (tribocorrosion) on the economy, safety and environment. Nevertheless, the vast compositional space of MPEACs and the inefficiency of traditional trial-and-error methods hinder their research progress. To address these challenges, a high-throughput preparation approach based on the cocktail effect is proposed to enhance preparation efficiency and improve performances.
Focusing on the CrNbTi-based MPEACs with room for improvement in mechanical and corrosion resistance, the composition gradient coating of AlCrMoNbTi was prepared by high-throughput magnetron sputtering technology by adding Al and Mo elements. Characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), were used to analyze the coatings' surface morphology, composition, and phase structure. Mechanical properties were measured by nanoindentation and microhardness tester, while corrosion resistance was assessed via an electrochemical workstation. A tribocorrosion system was employed to evaluate the tribocorrosion resistance of the selected coatings under the condition of open circuit potential. A 3D optical profiler was used to quantitatively analyze the surface roughness and wear cross-section of the coatings after tribocorrosion. The products at the wear marks were identified by confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy and the results were compared with reference spectra in the literature and in the RRUFF^TM mineralogy database.
EDS results confirmed the gradient variation in elemental composition, validating the preparation method. XRD analysis revealed three phase structures: body-centered cubic (BCC), amorphous, and BCC+amorphous. According to the relationship between the composition, structure and properties of the prepared coating, the boundary for forming a single-phase solid solution in AlCrMoNbTi MPEACs was δ=6.80% and Ω=1.09. SEM images showed surface morphologies varying with phase structure, including spherical, burr-shaped, cauliflower-shaped, etc. Nanoindentation results showed that site 4.4 had the highest elastic modulus (124.00 GPa) and nano-hardness (7.48 GPa) due to the synergistic effect of fine-grain strengthening and solid-solution strengthening. The microhardness tester found that the Vickers hardness (1 734.28HV) at site 1.5 was the highest. The discrepancy was primarily attributed to microstructural inhomogeneity in coating composition and structure caused by high-throughput fabrication processes, as well as the scale effects of different testing methods. Electrochemical tests in 3.5% sodium chloride solution revealed that site 4.3 had the lowest self-corrosion current density (1.38×10^-6 A/cm²). By establishing equivalent circuit models, it was discovered that its excellent corrosion resistance was due to the dense and uniform coating, which effectively inhibited the penetration of corrosive media. After adding mechanical friction, the surfaces of the seven selected coatings generated Corundum Al₂O₃, Eskolaite Cr₂O₃, Zhenruite (MoO₃)₂·H₂O, TiO₂ and electrochemical reaction product Al-Cl phases under open circuit potential conditions. There were three mechanisms for the volume loss (10^-5 mm³·N^-1·m^-1) in tribocorrosion of material: corrosion-wear deterioration, hardness-corrosion resistance synergy, and corrosion resistance dominance.
In summary, the prepared AlCrMoNbTi composition gradient coating successfully and efficiently screened out coatings with excellent corrosion and tribocorrosion resistance. Furthermore, the tribocorrosion behavior is synergistically infiuenced by hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear mechanisms. This study provides a detailed example for enhancing the performance and preparation efficiency of MPEACs. Meanwhile, the boundary for new-phase formation provides guidance for composition design.

Key words

magnetron sputtering / high-throughput screening / multi-principal-element alloy coatings / tribocorrosion / electrochemistry

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GAN Chenxi, PU Jibin. High-throughput Preparation and Abrasion Resistance of CrNbTi-based Multi-principal Element Alloy Coatings[J]. Surface Technology. 2025, 54(21): 199-214 https://doi.org/10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.014

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