Superhard oxide coatings formed on titanium treated by high-frequency currents

摘要

We have studied the hardness and elastic modulus of rutile (TiO2) oxide coatings formed on the surface of commercial grade VT1-00 titanium treated by high-frequency current (HFC). The mechanism of formation of superhard oxide coatings with thicknesses within 2-3 mu m and submicron-grained structure consisting of prismatic crystallites with dimensions of 200-400 nm. It is established that, at high temperatures (within 1000-1200A degrees C) and short HFC treatment durations (30-300 s), the oxide coatings are characterized by hardnesses of about 61-78 GPa and elastic moduli within 330-680 GPa.