Author: Mihai Apreutesei

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

In the recent years the industrial requirements to develop new functional materials able to overcome the severe conditions during machining operation are continuously increasing. Researchers then must find novel solutions to respond to their severe industrial requirements. To coat the tool surface with advanced coatings is the most efficient solution. New nanostructured materials may nowadays exhibit unique mechanical, physical and chemical properties ensuring notable degradation resistance where the surface protection of materials against corrosion, wear, friction or oxidation is a key issue, particularly when operating in hostile environments. Within the scope of this Ph.D. thesis the influence of the temperature on the structural stability of two different PVD ceramic and metallic glass thin films is proposed. The main goal consists in the development of two distinct classes of thin films, with a wide range of properties. In order to prepare these films, the project will be focused on the study on the influence of PVD deposition conditions in the particular film's growth characteristics: chemical composition, structure, morphology and the subsequent changes in the main properties of the thin films, namely oxidation and crystallization resistance, especially. For that purpose we adopted the multiscale approach. The first part is related to the ceramic CrN-based coatings to give new functionalities and improve the tools' surface with the primary aim to increase their lifetime. Secondly, new protective materials able to better protect the exposed surfaces against high temperature oxidation have been proposed, namely CrAlN and CrAlYN coatings as will be evidenced in this manuscript. The second part of the manuscript is dedicated to the innovative Zr-Cu thin films metallic glasses prepared by a PVD magnetron co-sputtering method with the objective to investigate the amorphization ability and their structural properties. Their excellent properties at room temperature have recently attracted attention as a new class of materials with great potential for engineering applications due to unique mechanical and physico-chemical characteristics (high elastic strain limit, corrosion resistance...). Finally, an important approach during the course of this thesis was the real time observation of the structure and surface modifications during heating by means of in situ methods. The thin films proposed during the course of the work could be straightforward used as surface engineering solutions to protect and extend the lifetime of the materials and components.