A titanium carbonitride coating has excellent wear and chipping resistance, making it an ideal coating for plastic injection molding dies. It has also been found that this coating can enhance the composite material properties of the molded parts.

The use of titanium carbonitride coatings can save a lot of money in the production of injection mold parts. Besides, the surface microstructure of the coatings can help to reduce the friction between the parts. For this reason, titanium carbonitride coatings are widely used in the manufacture of drilling equipments, cutting tools, and other non-ferrous materials.

The surface microstructure of the coatings is characterized by a quadrangular pyramid pattern. This pattern is fine and close, and is similar to the column crystal width.

X-ray diffraction analysis was performed on the coatings to determine their composition. A D8 Advance diffractometer was used for the analysis. The diffraction patterns were recorded with a step of 0.05 deg. From these data, a percentage of the coating's phase composition was determined.

Young's modulus values of the coatings ranged from 145 GPa to 19 GPa. The -70 V coating showed the highest nanohardness value at the optimum voltage.

The coatings were synthesized by changing the content of a reactive gas mixture. They were deposited on well-polished titanium substrates. Their surface was polished using diamond paste to obtain a 1 mm thick film.

SEM observations revealed the presence of two main phases: a barrier layer and an intermediate protective layer. These layers promote adhesion between the titanium substrate and the final overlay. In addition, the barrier layer prevents reaction between the coating constituents and the titanium.

tags: Semiconductors semiconductor industry