Application of Multiple Nitrogen-based Coatings for Cemented Carbide Tools: A Review

As the main-stream of the machining coating, nitrogen-based coatings have irreplaceable advantages, such as high hardness, high strength, and good oxidation resistance recently. This paper introduces common multiple nitrogen-based coatings which including TiAlN, CrAlN, TiAlSiN, CrAlSiN and CrTiAlN coatings for cemented carbide tools. The microstructure and property of coating is depended on its chemical composition. Generally, compounds of different structures are formed between the various elements of the coating, and these have different forms of existence and properties: titanium and chromium exist in nitrides (face-centered cubic structure), aluminium solubilizes in TiN/CrN, and amorphous Si3N4 can make difference in fine grain strengthening. The Al2O3 and SiO2 can improve oxidation resistance.