Up to ~ 3 µm thick alumina coatings on corundum ceramic, sodalimesilica glass and Inconel718 were produced from mixtures of boehmite sols and corundum suspensions.
Transmission electron micrographs in combination with electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy served to identify crystallographic phases and to characterize the microstructure of the coatings. Using corundum ceramic as substrate the initially deposited boehmite transforms via transition aluminas to corundum while heating to 1200 °C. In the cases of glass and Inconel718 thermal treatments up to 520 °C and 1100 °C, respectively, cause diffusion of ions from the substrates into the coatings. Thus additional oxide phases were formed.
All coatings are free of cracks or delaminations and do not show any directed crystal growth.
The microstructures of two samples of a Zr(C,N) coating on steel, which unexpectedly differed in their tribological properties, were investigated by analytical transmission electron microscopy. The samples were produced by a cathodic arc evaporation process in two commercial coating devices under similar coating conditions with the exception of the number of Zr targets.
The source of the differing tribological properties of the samples was detected by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), energy filtering TEM (EFTEM), electron diffraction, high resolution electron microscopy, and high angel annular dark field. The TEM preparation and the results of the TEM investigations are shown in detail. The origin of the unexpected behavior was determined to be a nano-scale multilayer structure that existed only in the tribologically superior specimen. EDX and EFTEM investigations indicated enrichment in oxygen at the interface between coating and steel substrate in the tribologically inferior sample. Findings of the microstructural configuration were obtained by taking a closer look at the structure and comparing the results of the several analytical TEM techniques. This allows the allocation of the concentration fluctuations in N, C, and Zr to the two thickness fractions of the nano multilayers and a local correlation of the identified minority phase Zr3(C,N)4 to the higher N content in the narrower type of the multilayer fraction of the sample with the excellent tribological properties. The minority phase Zr3(C,N)4 is randomly distributed in the sample with the defective tribological properties.
Coating conditions are not topic of this work, but after discussion of the TEM results, the fact that one of the coating devices worked with one Zr target and the other one with two, could be identified as cause for the formation of the nano multilayer structure in the sample with the superior tribological properties.
A way to increase the application range and the lifetime of metallic substrates is their protection by coatings. Here the effect of alumina coatings on common steel substrates having different Chromium content is examined. The background of the investigations is to expand the application possibilities of mechanically good steels to higher temperatures and corrosive atmospheres in the framework of the European project POEMA (“Production of Coatings for New Efficient and Clean Coal Power Plant Materials”) which was introduced to identify materials that can withstand the aggressive conditions arising during the oxyfuel process in modern coal power plants. This process is one possibility to reduce the CO2 emission by firing the coal in oxygen and recirculated flue gas.
Substrate materials were P92 (9% Cr), K44X (19% Cr), and HR3C (25% Cr). The alumina coatings were deposited by a sol-gel-process using boehmite, this is relatively simple and offers application possibilities for a wide technical range without special surface preparations. All samples were dried for 30 minutes at 650° C to remove the organic components and to start the crystallization process of the alumina. For P92 and HR3C the following conditions simulated the oxyfuel process: 650°C in wet flue gas for 300h for the steel P92, the same conditions for 2000 hours for the steel HR3C. K44X was tested at 900°C in laboratory air for 500 hours. As well after drying as after testing TEM characterizations were performed, where the interfaces between steel and coating are of special interest to characterize the microstructure, detect failure mechanisms, and identify diffusion and crystallization processes and so to understand the mode of action of the alumina coating.
The TEM samples were prepared by the lift-out-technique using a FIB Quanta 3D and were investigated in a STEM JEM2200FS at 200kV.
After the coating and drying process all steels show chromium oxide layers directly at the steel surface, they vary in thickness and are island shaped in the case of the steel K44X. Chromium depletion arose more or less in the superficial zones of all samples. After the long term tests K44X showed breakaway oxidation while P92 and HR3C presented intact interfaces. This reveals: Beside the positive impact of the coating not only the Chromium content of a substrate is essential for the formation and self-healing of protective chromium oxide layers during the service time of steels. One has to consider the possibility of the steel to allow a continuously Cr diffusion to the interface and so e renewal of the Cr-oxide layer.