AVS 49th International Symposium
    Surface Engineering Tuesday Sessions
       Session SE+TF-TuA

Paper SE+TF-TuA5
Nano-Structure Substoichiometric Zirconium Nitride Coatings with Unique Metallic Colors and Superior Abrasion and Corrosion Resistance

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 3:20 pm, Room C-111B

Session: Systems Design of Functional Coatings
Presenter: G. Chen, Vapor Technologies, Inc.
Authors: G. Chen, Vapor Technologies, Inc.
J.S. Lipe, Delta Faucet Company
P.B. Jonte, Delta Faucet Company
S. Moysan, Baldwin Hardware Company
Correspondent: Click to Email
Low temperature arc vapor deposition (LTAVD) is one of the widely applied techniques for industrial production of decorative and functional coatings. Nickel and stainless steel color protective coatings were deposited using substoichiometric nano-crystal size zirconium nitride and oxynitride. Generally the total amount of nitrogen and oxygen is between about 14 to about 50 atomic percent with a nitrogen content of at least about 6 atomic percent. The slightly nitrided or nitrided and oxidized color layer is mainly comprised of nano-phase to amorphous metallic refractory metal with textured metal nitride phase, as determined using x-ray diffraction. For example, zirconium nitride primarily oriented in (111) plane and smaller than 50 nm in grain size, or metallic zirconium primarily oriented in (112) plane and smaller than 80 nm, depending on the proportion of oxygen in total gas flow. Such types of structures are produced at relatively low processing pressures, ranging from 1 to 5 millitorr. These nano-phase coatings have superior abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance over the relative large crystal size coatings have the same atomic percent of nitrogen content.