Yemurai Vengesa - Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan ۶۵۱۷۸-۳۸۶۹۵, Iran
Arash Fattah-alhosseini - Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan ۶۵۱۷۸-۳۸۶۹۵, Iran
Hassan Elmkhah - Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan ۶۵۱۷۸-۳۸۶۹۵, Iran
Omid Imantalab - Department of Materials Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan ۶۵۱۷۸-۳۸۶۹۵, Iran

The main purpose of this investigation is to assess the effect of post-deposition annealing treatment on the electrochemical behavior of TiN coating developed on AISI ۳۰۴ stainless steel substrate using cathodic arc evaporation physical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD). Post-annealing treatment at ۴۰۰ ºC was performed on the coated substrate for ۱ h. The studied samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The preferred orientation of TiN (۱۱۱) was identified by XRD patterns and the crystallinity of the coating increased after annealing treatment. SEM observations indicated that TiN coatings free of cracks were successfully developed on the substrate. The electrochemical measurements elucidated that the annealed coating had better corrosion resistance compared to that of the as-deposited coating with a lower current corrosion density. This investigation implied that improved corrosion performance of the TiN coating can achieved by performing post-deposition annealing treatment.

post-deposition annealing, electrochemical behavior, TiN coating, CAE-PVD, EIS