Enhancement in corrosion resistance and vibration damping performance in titanium by titanium nitride coating

Abstract

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films are deposited on titanium (Ti) substrates by pulsed laser deposition and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The main goal of this research is to improve the corrosion resistance and the vibration damping performance of the Ti substrates by surface modification of the substrates with TiN thin film coatings. Electrochemical results indicate that TiN films bring about a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance of the Ti disks in phosphate buffer saline solution. It is also observed that TiN deposited at room temperature has the best corrosion efficiency in terms of lower corrosion current density and more positive corrosion potential. From the damping measurements, it is observed that the damping ratios of the TiN-coated beams are one to two orders of magnitude greater than those of uncoated ones. Additionally, the damping amplitudes of the TiN coated beams have been observed to return to zero position faster than the uncoated beam. The energy dissipation due to internal friction at the beam-coating interface and inter-lamellae interface within TiN coatings can be the mechanism responsible for reducing vibration amplitudes of TiN-coated beams.