Characterisation of PVD tin nanostructured coating for decorative applications

This study investigates the characterisation of TiN nanostructured coatings applied by physical vapour deposition (PVD) for decorative applications. For this purpose, TiN coating was applied on brass (MS60) with three-layer pr-coated of copper, nickel and chromium by PVD technique. The morphology, microstructure and thickness of the TiN coating were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The adhesion of the TiN coating was studied using the Rockwell test method. Wear properties were also investigated by AISI 52100 steel pin on disk standard test method. The results indicated good adhesion of TiN coating on the substrate. TiN coating with a nanometer structure of about 33 nm and thickness of about 245 nm has been fabricated uniformly on the surface. The wear test results showed 57% higher wear rate in the samples without TiN coating compared to the samples with this coating. Also, the wear area has been shown mostly abrasion wear mechanism.