To cover materials in our time, a whole range of different technologies is used. There are technologies for vacuum coating, electron-proton radiation, high-temperature synthesis, and many others.
Titanium Nitride Steel Coating
In the modern world, gilded decorative ornaments and products are becoming more and more popular. In industry, this is hardening (spraying) of tools and parts with titanium nitride. This chemical element has both an external decorative appearance and valuable operational qualities - high hardness, resistance and chemical inertness. In industry, titanium nitride coating is carried out:
- The deposition method in vacuum installations. It is implemented in different ways - ion deposition, a condensation system in the plasma phase, and sputtering in magnetron installations: PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), or FOP technology.
- Chemical deposition method: CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), or CVD technology.
- Plasma spraying in microwave plasmatrons.
- SHS technology (self-propagating high-temperature synthesis).
Coating of steel with titanium nitride by deposition methods gives good results in quality, but requires technically complex installations (vacuum, combined cycle) in industrial enterprises. In addition, it requires specific equipment, materials, and industrial gases (e.g. nitrogen). In addition, toxic wastes are generated in galvanic shops.
Plasma installations. Process
In plasma-type installations, titanium nitride coating is carried out by electro-plasma sprayers using finished powder raw materials (titanium nitride in powder form). Plasmatrons for spraying are relatively uncomplicated, the process takes place there without vacuum and a special gas environment. But in order to reduce the oxidation of titanium nitride by oxygen, argon is used to form plasma. It has inert properties. In the microwave plasmatron, nitrogen is used. Such powder coating technology can be applied in small equipped rooms, for example, in private business.
The disadvantages of the method of plasma spraying
In plasma-type installations, titanium nitride coating technology has the following disadvantages:
- poor adhesion. The adhesion strength of the coating is inferior to PVD or CVD; spraying tends to settle;
- the film covering the surface is strictly uneven;
- decorative properties of such a film of low quality;
- spraying over a certain period of time can be done several times, so the product is prone to wear.
Obviously, if titanium nitride coating is carried out in small, poorly equipped rooms, the result has significant drawbacks. Such a coating is used only for decorative purposes. For example, such quality is required in the production of souvenir products, on furniture fittings, in jewelry, etc.
Fire technology
By high-temperature synthesis, titanium nitride coating is carried out in closed reactors using the heating of the finished product. In such installations, the coating is clean and uniform. It surpasses well-known composite materials in strength, hardness and refractoriness.
The reactor is heated to high temperatures due to exothermic processes. As a result of the reaction of several chemical elements, a part is formed. The temperature reaches 4000 degrees. So you can get excellent pure nitride, diborite titanium, silicon and aluminum and other materials with finished coatings. The process of coating with titanium nitride in variants of high-temperature powder synthesis can be performed additionally. In the new SHS reactors, any material turns out to be unusual and exquisitely decorative.
Benefits of Titanium Nitride Coated Materials
These include:
- significant resistance to mechanical damage;
- various colors of coatings;
- functional durability;
- environmental friendliness of innovative production;
- convenience and ease of work;
- It is used in many areas of production, from jewelry (gilding) of church domes to the production of souvenirs.
It can be argued that in production the price of titanium nitride coating is much lower than in other industries where gold spraying is required. For example, one square meter of stainless steel sheet with gilding will cost about 2.5 thousand rubles. TiN coating does not tarnish, protects the material from rust. The service life of the shell of titanium nitride is much longer. This compound is resistant to temperatures of 800 degrees.
Conclusion
Implemented coverage has many features. Nitride coating is used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, because this material is both a conductor and an insulator. Spraying gives the surface a different flower, the products are more decorative. This is the color of gold, burgundy, green and blue, as well as silver and raspberry. They are all stable, do not fade and do not erode.