DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.6c00831 ISSN: 2639-4979
Synthesizability of Sputtered Cr-Al-B and Ti-Al-B Coatings Studied by Theory and Experiment
Sameer Aman Salman, Devi Janani Ramesh, Stanislav Mráz, Radosław Swadźba, Marcus Hans, Daniel Primetzhofer, Martin Dahlqvist, Johanna Rosén, Jochen M. SchneiderAbstract
The synthesizability of magnetron-sputtered Cr-Al-B and Ti-Al-B coatings is investigated by combining temperature-dependent Gibbs energy predictions with a critical experimental assessment. Experimental phase formation data are consistent with predictions that Cr2AlB2 formation is thermodynamically favored and Ti2AlB2 is prone to decomposition. The guided choice of synthesis temperatures ≤500 °C, substantially lower than those previously reported, yields significantly denser Cr2AlB2 coatings, enabling the first measurement of their mechanical properties. Hence, temperature-dependent Gibbs free energy predictions are valuable to assess the synthesizability of MAB phase coatings by magnetron sputtering provided diffusion is enabled.