Effect of Target Magnetic Field Intensity on the Microstructure and Properties of Arc Ion Plated Cr Coatings

LI Zihao; FENG Changjie; CHI Yunfei; JIN Zonghan; ZHANG Yudi; WANG Henan; LI Mingsheng

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.10.007

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (10) : 81-91. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.10.007

Corrosion and Protection

Effect of Target Magnetic Field Intensity on the Microstructure and Properties of Arc Ion Plated Cr Coatings

LI Zihao¹, FENG Changjie^1,*, CHI Yunfei¹, JIN Zonghan¹, ZHANG Yudi¹, WANG Henan¹, LI Mingsheng²

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Abstract

Cr coatings fabricated via physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology have emerged as critical materials for metal surface protection owing to their outstanding mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, variations in fabrication processes led to notable differences in coating properties. The main factors that affect the coating quality include different deposition biases, different deposition temperatures, and different magnetic field intensities on the target surface, etc. To improve the preparation process of chromium Cr coatings and strengthen their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, the work aims to study the effect of the target magnetic field on the structure and properties of arc ion-plated chromium coatings. By using arc ion plating technology and varying the magnetic field intensity on the surface of the target material, a Cr coating was deposited on the surface of 40CrNi alloy steel. The surface and cross-sectional microstructures as well as the wear scar morphology of the Cr coating were systematically analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, while the phase composition of the coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction. The mechanical properties of the Cr coating, including hardness, friction coefficient, and wear resistance, along with the interfacial bonding strength between the coating and substrate, were systematically evaluated through microhardness testing, tribological analysis, and scratch adhesion testing. The corrosion resistance of the coating was evaluated through electrochemical testing methods. Then, the effect of magnetic field strength on the target surface on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of Cr coatings was systematically analyzed. The results showed that as the magnetic field strength on the target surface increased from 3 Gs to 12 Gs, the surface roughness of the coating and the number of large particles on the coating surface initially decreased and then increased, the coating deposition rate firstly rose and subsequently declined, and the grain size of the coating exhibited an initial reduction followed by an increase. The wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the coating showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing as the magnetic field intensity increased from 3 Gs to 12 Gs. When the magnetic field strength on the target surface was 9 Gs, the Cr coating achieved a maximum hardness of 470.84HV0.05. Under this condition, the coating exhibited the lowest friction coefficient (0.42) and wear rate (1.06×10^-7 mm³/(N·m)), along with the highest bonding strength to the substrate (40.3 N). Additionally, the self-corrosion potential reached its maximum value of 76.1 mV, while the self-corrosion current density dropped to its minimum value of 7.57×10^-10 A/cm². It is concluded that by adjusting the magnetic field strength on the target surface, the microstructure of the Cr coating can be effectively controlled, which can refine the grains, reduce the number of large particles, so the resulting Cr coatings exhibit a relatively dense structure without obvious defects such as pores and with hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance improved. When the magnetic field strength on the target surface is 9 Gs, the coating exhibits the fewest surface defects. At the same time, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the coating have both reached the optimal level.

Key words

arc ion plating / magnetic field strength on target surface / Cr coating / microstructure / mechanical properties / corrosion resistance

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LI Zihao, FENG Changjie, CHI Yunfei, JIN Zonghan, ZHANG Yudi, WANG Henan, LI Mingsheng. Effect of Target Magnetic Field Intensity on the Microstructure and Properties of Arc Ion Plated Cr Coatings[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(10): 81-91

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