Unlocking the cavitation erosion-corrosion resistance of a TiCN nanocrystalline coating with an equiaxed grain structure

To alleviate cavitation erosion damage in hydraulic machines operating, a TiCN coating was prepared on to a TC11 substrate using a double-cathode glow discharge technique. The TiCN coating consist of equiaxed nanocrystals with the grain size of about 10 nm. Under cavitation condition, the TiCN coated sample showed higher corrosion resistant, lower local corrosion tendency and less weight loss than the substrate. The excellent cavitation erosion resistance of the TiCN coating was ascribed to its nanoscale equiaxed grain structure and the good self-healing capability of the passive film, which was confirmed through both subsurface cross-sectional observation and electrochemical measurements.