Effects of PVD sputtered coatings on the corrosion resistance of AISI 304 stainless steel

This research studied the corrosion resistance enhancement of AISI 304 stainless steel by utilizing TiCN, CrN, and DLC films deposited by means of physical vapor deposition (PVD). The corrosion media used were NaCl, HCl, and H2SO4 aqueous solutions, respectively. The results showed that all PVD coating types reduced the corrosion current thus providing better corrosion resistance. Among the three PVD films studied, DLC film gave the best results in all aqueous solutions. CrN film yielded a better corrosion resistance than TiCN in H2SO4 solution, although both produced about the same effect in HCl and NaCl solutions.