Corrosion of CrN and TiAlN coatings in chloride-containing atmospheres

Chromium and titanium-aluminium nitrides were deposited, by physical vapour deposition techniques, on stainless steel substrates and their corrosion behaviour was studied in two different environments: a gaseous environment containing HCl at a temperature of 350 degrees C and a 1 M HCl aqueous solution environment, at room temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the mechanism of the reactions that occurred in the gaseous environment. This analysis shows an oxidation of the surface caused by the substitution of nitrogen by oxygen. Open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarisation measurements were performed in the aqueous solution environment. The aqueous corrosion behaviour of the nitride coatings is strongly dependent on the microdefect density of the coating. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.