Exploration of the microstructure space in TiAlZrN ultra-hard nanostructured coatings

Ti1-x-yAlxZryN cubic alloys within the 25-70% Al composition range have high age-hardening capabilities due to metastable phase transition pathways at high temperatures. They are thus ideal candidates for ultra-hard nano-coating materials. There is growing evidence that this effect is associated with the elasto-chemical field-induced phase separation into compositionally-segregated nanocrystalline nitride phases. Here, we studied the microstructural evolution in this pseudo-ternary system within spinodal regions at 1200 degrees C by using an elasto-chemical phase field model. Our simulations indicate that elastic interactions between nitride nano-domains greatly affect not only the morphology of the microstructure but also the local chemical phase equilibria. In Al-rich regions of the composition space we further observe the onset of the transformation of AIN-rich phases into their equilibrium wurtzite crystal structure. This work points to a wide palette of microstructures potentially accessible to these nitride systems and their tailoring is likely to result in significant improvements in the performance of transition metal nitride-based coating materials. (C) 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.