Effect of Phase-Structure Evolution on Mechanical Properties of Cr2AlC Coating
YUAN Jianghuai1,2, WANG Zhenyu2, MA Guanshui2, ZHOU Guangxue2, CHENG Xiaoying1, WANG Aiying2()
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072, China 2Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Cite this article:
YUAN Jianghuai, WANG Zhenyu, MA Guanshui, ZHOU Guangxue, CHENG Xiaoying, WANG Aiying. Effect of Phase-Structure Evolution on Mechanical Properties of Cr2AlC Coating. Acta Metall Sin, 2023, 59(7): 961-968.
With the rapid advancements in high-tech aeroengines and gas turbines, surface protective coatings are of increasing interest for enhancing the mechanical and corrosive performances of blade components under harsh high-temperature conditions. Owing to the unique nanolaminate structure, Cr2AlC coating, a typical Cr-Al-C ceramic comprising MAX phases, provides an excellent combination of metallic and ceramic properties, including high-temperature oxidation resistance and superior damage tolerance. In this work, Cr2AlC coatings were achieved on nickel-based superalloy substrates using a hybrid deposition system with a cathodic arc and magnetron sputtering source and subsequent annealing. Particularly, the effect of microstructure evolution on the mechanical properties of Cr2AlC coating was studied under various thermal annealing temperatures of 1073, 1123, 1173, and 1223 K for 2 h. The phase structure, surface morphology, cross-sectional morphology, and elemental distribution of the coatings were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDS. The mechanical properties, including the hardness and toughness of the coatings, were tested by nanoindentation and Vickers indentation. The results showed that the Cr2AlC MAX phase was decomposed and transformed into Cr2Al, Cr7C3, and Cr27C6 phases at higher annealing temperatures, and element diffusion of the coatings was also observed. Moreover, it was noted that the transition in the phase structure did not lead to the misfit of the interface, and the coatings maintained both a high hardness of 11 GPa and elastic modulus of 280 GPa, regardless of the annealing process. The slight decrease in toughness for annealed coatings could be attributed in the formation of brittle chromium carbides and Al element diffusion. Such Cr2AlC MAX phase coatings are promising candidates as protective materials for wide applications in harsh high-temperatures applications.
Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(52025014);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52171090);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52101109);Ningbo Natural Science Foundation(2021J220)
Corresponding Authors:
WANG Aiying, professor, Tel: (0574)86685170, E-mail: aywang@nimte.ac.cn
Fig.1 Schematic of hybrid cathodic arc/magnetron device
Fig.2 XRD spectra of the Cr2AlC coatings before and after annealing at different temperatures for 2 h
Sample
Annealing
Phase
temperature / K
S0
-
Cr2AlC
S1
1073
Cr2AlC, Cr2Al, Cr7C3
S2
1123
Cr7C3, Cr2Al, NiAl
S3
1173
Cr23C6, Cr7C3, NiAl
S4
1223
Cr23C6, Al2O3, NiAl
Table 1 Phase compositions of Cr2AlC coatings before and after annealing at different temperatures
Phase
Debye temperature / K
Hardness / GPa
Ref.
Ref.
Ref.
Ref.
Ref.
Ref.
[23]
[24]
[25]
[23]
[26]
[27]
Cr7C3
731
562
646
13.5
18.3
18.0
Cr23C6
744
674
691
10.1
13.2
16.5
Table 2 Comparative results of Debye temperature and hardness of Cr7C3 and Cr23C6[23-27]
Fig.3 SEM surface images of samples S1 (a), S2 (b), S3 (c), and S4 (d); and EDS elemental maps of Cr (e), Al (f), C (g), and O (h) in sample S4
Fig.4 Cross-sectional SEM images and corresponding EDS elemental maps of samples S1 (a), S2 (b), S3 (c), and S4 (d)
Fig.5 Load-displacement curves of samples S1-S4
Sample
H / GPa
E / GPa
H / E
(H 3 / E 2) / GPa
S1
12.39
313.43
0.040
0.020
S2
13.53
330.74
0.042
0.024
S3
11.12
286.40
0.039
0.017
S4
14.46
345.17
0.042
0.026
Table 3 Hardness (H), elastic modulus (E), H / E, and H 3 / E 2 of samples S1-S4
Fig.6 Vickers indentation morphologies of samples S1 (a), S2 (b), S3 (c), and S4 (d)
Fig.7 Schematic of the effect of the phase-structure evolution on mechanical properties of Cr2AlC coating
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