Title: Ceramic nitride/metal coatings with enhanced fracture toughness and fatigue resistance using a multiscalar laminate architecture

Authors: Alan Savan, Jaroslaw Wosik, Yvonne B. Gerbig, Krystina Spiradek-Hahn

Addresses: Forschungszentrum caesar, Combinatorial Materials Science, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, D-53175 Bonn, Germany. ' Austrian Research Centers GmbH – ARC, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria; CEST – Kompetenzzentrum fur elektrochemische Oberflachentechnologie GmbH, Viktor Kaplan Strasse 2, A-2700-Wr. Neustadt, Austria. ' University of Warwick, School of Engineering, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Ceramics Division, 100 Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8520, USA. ' Austrian Research Centers GmbH – ARC, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria

Abstract: Ceramic coatings can provide benefits such as improved wear resistance, reduced friction, and be chemical and biological corrosion barriers in various biomedical applications. However, long-term issues of film cracking, particle generation, or delamination must be addressed, while achieving decades-long coating lifetimes. Instead of brittle, superhard coatings, softer but tougher coatings achieved with multiscalar, laminate architectures may meet these requirements. Layers of Cr and CrN were combined in multi- and nanolayer structures, and compared to monolayer films. The multiscalar coatings had hardness values lying between the pure Cr and CrN, but higher fracture toughness than the monolayer films.

Keywords: ceramic nitride; ceramic coatings; fracture toughness; fatigue resistance; multilayer structures; nanolayer structures; multiscalar coatings; hardness; biomedical applications.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSURFSE.2008.022283

International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering, 2008 Vol.2 No.6, pp.419 - 438

Published online: 26 Dec 2008 *

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