Residual stress and microstructure effects on mechanical, tribological and electrical properties of TiN coatings on 304 stainless steel

Abstract Mechanical, tribological and electrical properties of TiN coatings on 304 stainless steel were investigated and the effects of microstructure and residual stress on these properties were studied. Microstructure, surface roughness, hardness and preferred orientation of the coatings were investigated by AFM, SEM, nanoindentation and XRD. Residual stress of the coatings was designed and controlled in a relatively narrow range successfully using negative bias voltage based on the film thickness effect on residual stress. Residual stress was investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction using the optimized cos 2 α sin 2 ψ method. Friction behavior and wear characteristics were evaluated using a tribometer. The results indicate a great influence of microstructure and residual stress on the properties and service behavior of TiN coatings. Based on the experimental findings, an intermediate residual stress and proper microstructure are of vital importance to achieve better performance of coatings during service.