Cavitation erosion performance of CrAlYN/CrN nanoscale multilayer coatings deposited on Ti6Al4V by HIPIMS

Water droplet erosion (WDE) protection of Ti6Al4V turbofan blades is of paramount importance to the aviation industry. A novel CrAlYN/CrN nanoscale multilayer coating deposited by the HIPIMS technique was evaluated as a potential candidate for this application. Literature suggests a strong correlation in performance ranking under WDE and cavitation erosion (CE) tests. Hence, the WDE performance of the CrAlYN/CrN coating on Ti6Al4V was investigated with an ultrasonic cavitation device. The results show excellent adhesion and superior erosion resistance of the CrAlYN/CrN coating (erosion rate lower by a factor of 14 compared to the bare Ti6Al4V substrate) and compared to coatings reported in the literature with spallation as their main erosion mechanism. Cross-sectional FIB studies revealed formation of substrate cracks underneath the coating when CE generated stresses exceeded the fatigue strength of the Ti6Al4V alloy. The interfaces of the nanoscale multilayers protected the substrate by forming an effective barrier against shock waves, delayed fatigue crack formation, deflected and arrested any cracks formed impeding the overall coating damage. The research shows that the CE resistance is influenced by the coating's texture and elastic properties, (Young's modulus). The paper discusses the erosion mechanisms of the coating and the excellent CE protection it offers.