Effects of Protone Irradiation on the Structural-Phase State of Nanostructured Tizrsin Coatings and Their Mechanical Properties

The method of reactive magnetron sputtering has been used to form nanostructured TiZrSiN coatings on various types of substrates (templates) in nitrogen-deficit and stoichiometric concentration regimes. Methods of scanning electron microscopy and roentgenostructural (x-ray diffraction, XRD) phase (-shift) analysis have been used to identify the structural-phase state of the initial coatings, their thickness, and also morphology. Using the Oliver and Pharr nanoindentation techniques and also tribomechanical tests, the hardness, Young’s modulus, and the friction coefficient of coatings have been identified. Irradiation of the investigated TiZrSiN coatings by H + hydrogen ions with an energy of 500 keV in the fluence range from 1·10 16 to 1·10 17 ion/cm 2 has been conducted at an AN 2500 accelerator facility. It has been established that nanostructured TiZrSiN coatings applied in nitrogen-deficit and stoichiometry regimes are radiation-resistant and potentially promising for operation as protective coatings on the airframes of small flight vehicles in the earth orbit and in the outer space conditions.