Titanium Chromium Nitride (TiCrN)
Ion Vacuum Technologies Corporation’s Titanium Chromium Nitride (TiCrN) is a ternary coating multi-layer multi-phase coating, with modulated composition profile.
Its properties are the result of two simultaneously occurring factors:
- The formation of a finely dispersed, nanocomposite structure containing TiN and CrN, which yields increased hardness and extended the range of working temperatures.
- The deposition of a layered, modulated composition superimposed on the nano-composite structure, whereby the thickness and composition of single layers are optimized to yield further improvement of properties.
The coating will perform as well as or in many applications considerably better than Titanium Nitride.
The properties of chromium titanium nitride films depend, amongst other parameters, such as the nitrogen content and compositional modulation as a function of depth, on the average Cr/Ti ratio. We optimized the structure by modulating this ratio and achieved a tougher, less brittle structure and improved oxidation resistance while maintaining superior hardness.
TiCrN has a slightly extended temperature range of application. This is due to conversion of some of the surface residual Cr into Cr2O3 with the formation of molecular nitrogen in the interstitial positions of the surface oxide layers. As is the case for CrN films, this Cr2O3 forms a dense, stable oxygen diffusion barrier at the surface of the coated item, thus preventing or slowing down substantially further oxidation.
Because of the modulation of the composition of condensing material during deposition, the end result is a nano-layered structure, with superior toughness, lower stresses, and higher overall performance as compared to TiN.
TiCrN is suited for similar applications both in woodworking and metalworking in a wide range of manufacturing operations as TiN but with an extended range of application parameters, with more predictable, steadier, performance. It is a less ‘temperamental’ more ‘rugged’ coating.
We at IVAC recommend TiCrN as a general purpose coating in applications where no coating was ever used before. It also often out-performs the high temperature, aluminum based coatings (TiAlN and AlTiN), when the work is done in the presence of a coolant or the application does not develop high temperatures, such as reaming, tapping, most finishing and hobbing operations, the machining of non-ferrous metals or aerospace composites.
As it is one of our least expensive coatings, TiCrN is additionally recommended in situations where our customers want to make a minimal investment into their tooling but want a coating present to provide wear resistance and superior finish.
IVAC’s TiCrN has an outermost surface layer of TiN, therefore, it has the same gold color as TiN.