18th International Conference on

Plasma Surface Engineering

Wear resistance of an Hyperlox Gold® coating over

nitrided martensitic AISI 420 stainless steel

Eugenia L. Dalibón1, Walter R. Tuckart2,3, Sonia P. Brühl1,3

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – UTN, Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina
Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
National Council for Research and Technology, CONICET; Argentina
Background
Duplex coatings
Designed to increase adhesion providing a hardness
gradient, and to improve performance via good
mechanical properties combine with a very hard surface.
• Nitrocarburizing + oxidation
• Nitriding + DLC
• Nitriding + Hard coatings

APPLICATIONS: Severe wear and harsh environments

Mechanics, aerospace, plastics, energy, Oil&Gas, construction.

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

Previous Results

Surface Eng. Group UTN Argentina + AU and BR partners

Plasma nitriding of stainless steels (austenitic,

martensitic, PH) obtaining good wear and
corrosion properties.

AISI 316L nitrided + TiN

AISI 4140 nitrided + DLC
AISI 420 nitrided + DLC

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Motivation
Martensitic stainless steels

Wear Coating behavior in

Hard and good mechanical properties harsh wear and
Corrosion Hyperlox Gold Hyperlox corrosion
environments.
Resistent In different environments

Nitrided + Coatings
AISI 420
stainless steel
Not nitrided + Coatings

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Main Goals

1. To analyze the sliding wear and abrasive wear behaviour of

nitrided and non nitrided AISI 420 Stainless Steel coated with
Hyperlox and Hyperlox Gold (Cemecon®).
2. To asses coatings adhesion to the nitrided steel compared to
the non nitrided material.
3. To evaluate corrosion behaviour of the coating compared to
the nitrided steel in saline environments.

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Experimental
1. Samples: AISI 420 Stainless Steel discs
Fe (%) C (%) Si (%) Mn (%) P (%) S (%) Cr (%)
86 0,346 0,400 0,331 0,0306 <0,0030 12,4

Heat Treatment: Air quenching form 1050 C, tempering at 260 C, 2 x 2 h

2. Nitriding: IONAR SA (Arg), DC pulsed plasma nitriding

20% N2 – H2, 390 C, 10 h
3. Coating: PVD PEMS, at Coating.Tech by Tantal-Flubetech (Arg)

4. Characterization
Optical Microscopy, Vickers Hardness, SEM, XRD, Nanoindentation

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Experimental
Wear
Adhesive
Pin-on-Disk Abrasive
ASTM G99 ASTM G65
Dry sand/
Rubber Wheel

Corrosion Adhesion
Potentiodynamic polarization ASTM C1624
Adhesion
VDI 3198
Rockwell C
Indentation

In NaCl 3,5% Scratch Test, constant load

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Microstructure

TiN Top Coating ≈ 0,5 μm

Hyperlox Coating ≈ 2,8 to 3,5 μm

Coating SEM images on

different samples

Previously nitrided Non nitrided

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Microstructure
4000

3500 TiN -TiAlN- Nitrided layer XRD in Bragg Brentano Configuration

❑
3000  (110)
❑ TiAlN
2500 ◆TiN
Intensity (a.u)

❑Fe4N
2000 

1500

(211)
◆
(200)

1000

500 ◆ 
◆
0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Optical micrographs
2theta (degrees)

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Hardness and mechanical properties
Nanoindentation
40
Vickers microindenter 400
Nitrided layer hardness (on top): (1180 ± 40) HV0,05 35
AISI 420 stainless Steel (Q&T): (500 ± 20) HV0,05. 350

30
Nitrided layer

H [GPa]
300

E [GPa]
TiN + Hyperlox
Nanohardness (GPa) 17 ± 1 TiN + Hyperlox
250 Hyperlox
25
Young Modulus (GPa) 182 ± 5 Hyperlox
TiN + Hyperlox
Penetration Depth (nm) 124 ± 3 TiN + Hyperlox 20
200 Hyperlox
Hyperlox
HyP + TiN: E=(375 ± 20) H= (26,2 ± 0,4) GPa 150 15
Hyperlox: E= (377 ± 20) H= (32,1 ± 0,5) GPa 600 625 650 1025 1050 1075
Displacement [nm]

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Wear – Pin on Disk

200

5N
7N
Wear rate (.10 mm /N.m)

150 10N
3

25

Coated Duplex
-6

20

15

10

0
N+H+TiN H+TiN N+H H N B

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Wear and Friction

Duplex coated

H + TiN Coated

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Counterpart 5N 10 N

analysis

Duplex
Confocal
Microscope
images

Coated

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Abrasive Wear G65 Undetectable

250 Hyperlox Nitrided Blank

200

Blank H + TiN H without TiN

Mass loss (mg)

150

100

50

Nitrided Duplex Duplex 0

H N P

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Adhesion
Rockwell C – Indentation - 150 kg

N+H H

Radial cracks

N + H + TiN H + TiN

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Adhesion

N+H

N + H+ TiN

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Adhesion

H + TiN

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Adhesion
11 10
80 N

10 H
N+H 5

H+TiN
9

Depth (m)
N+H+TiN
Scratch scar depth (m)

8
-5

7
-10 Hyperlox
N + Hyperlox
6

0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4

5 Position (mm)

4
Maximum depth of the scars
3 generated in the Scratch Test
60 70 80 90
Load (N)
at different loads

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Results
Corrosion Before After

N+H+TiN
2000

N + Hyperlox + TiN
Pits
1500
OM images
Potential E vs SCE (mV)

Hyperlox + TiN

1000
N + Hyperlox In the same
Hyperlox
N area
AISI 420
500

H
0

Defects
-500
and SEM
images
-1000
1E-3 0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000
2
N+H+TiN
Current Density (A/cm )

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

Conclusions

1. The Hyperlox and Hyperlox Gold (+TiN) coatings presented a high Young
Modulus. However, the hardness of the TiN coating was lower (32 to 26 Gpa).
2. The Hyperlox (without TiN) failed at the abrasive test when it was deposited
without the nitriding pre treatment. The same occurred in the POD tests at high
loads.
3. The nitrided layer improved the wear resistance in adhesive pin on disk test at
high loads for both coatings.
4. The adhesion was better in the duplex samples (nitriding+coating) in both
cases.
5. The duplex sample N + H + TiN resulted to be the best protective system in
saline environments, proved in the corrosion tests.

Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl

 Thank you!
sonia@frcu.utn.edu.ar
Sonia Brühl

http://www.frcu.utn.edu.ar/gis
Grupo de Ingeniería de Superficies
¡Muchas Gracias!
Erfurt, GER, September 13 2022 Sonia Brühl