Multilayered WC-Til_xAlxN coatings are characterized by periodically repeated structures of lamellae of WC- Ti/WC-Tia_xAI×N. WC-TiI.xAlxN coatings of changing A1 concentration were deposited on AISI D2 steel by high-ionization sputtered plasma vapor deposition (PVD). The A1 concentration could be controlled by using evaporation source for A1 and fixing the evaporating rate of other metals. Four kinds of WC-TiI_xAlxN coatings were prepared: WC-Ti0.6A10.4N, WC-Ti0.53A10.47N, WC-Ti0.sA10.sN and WC-Ti0.43A10.svN. The corrosion behavior of WC-Til_xAlxN coatings was investigated using electrochemical techniques in deaerated 3.5% NaC1 electrolyte (galvanic corrosion test, potentiodynamic polarization test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky method) and surface analyses (GDOES, RBS, XRD, SEM and XPS). Particular attention was paid to the effect of growth defects on the coating properties related to the corrosion behavior. The results of the coating and substrate galvanic corrosion test showed low galvanic current densities. In the potentiodynamic polarization test and EIS measurement, the corrosion current density of WC-Ti0.sAlo.sN was lower than others and presented higher Rct values than others after 240 hours immersion time. This could be attributed to the formation of a dense TiO2 passive film, which promotes partial closing of the defects. Capacitance values obtained from EIS as a function of different potentials (C -2 vs E) showed that the passive film exhibited an n-type semiconductor behavior.
Keywords : GDOES, RBS, galvanic corrosion test, EIS, Mott-Schottky method