The influence of titanium pre-nitriding on the synthesis of oxide-ceramic coatings

Keywords

plasma-electrolytic oxidation, electrolytic plasma, Gibbs energy, titanium oxides, titanium nitrides, oxide-ceramic coatings.

Cite as

Posuvailo V. M., Kovalchuk I. V., and Kravchyshyn T. M. The influence of titanium prenitriding on the synthesis of oxide-ceramic coatings. Physicochemical Mechanics of Materials. 2025. 61(3), 047-054.

https://doi.org/10.15407/pcmm2025.03.047

Abstract

The Gibbs energies of the reactions between titanium nitrides and the components of the electrolyte plasma during the synthesis of oxide-ceramic coatings on nitrided titanium have been calculated. It is shown that atomic and molecular oxygen interact with titanium nitride, forming titanium oxide and nitrogen. An increase in temperature and the size of discharge channels leads to a slowdown in the growth rate of oxide-ceramic coatings due to a decrease in the oxidizer content in plasma discharges. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the structure and phase composition of oxide-ceramic coatings based on nitrided VT1-0 and VT6 alloys. It is proposed to limit the coating synthesis time on nitrided VT1-0 and VT6 titanium alloys to 20–30 min to obtain oxide-ceramic coatings with low porosity and increased microhardness.

References

1. M. Diamanti, B. Del Curto, and M. Pedeferri, “Anodic oxidation of titanium: from technical aspects to biomedical applications,” J. of Appl. Biomater. and Biomech., 9, Is. 1, 55-69 (2011). https://doi.org/10.5301/JABB.2011.7429
2. І. М. Pohrelyuk, and S. М. Lavrys, “Thermal stability of the deformed surface layer of VT22 titanium alloy in a nitrogen-containing medium,” Mater. Sci., 57, No. 4, 43-47 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-021-00512-7
3. V. Kyryliv, O. Maksymiv, V. Gurey, I. Hurey, Y. Kyryliv, and O. Zvirko, “The mode deformation effect on surface nanocrystalline structure formation and wear resistance of steel 41Cr4,” Coatings, 13, Is. 2 (2023). Article number 249. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020249
4. D. Toboła, J. Morgiel, and L. Maj, “TEM analysis of surface layer of Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy after slide burnishing and low-temperature gas nitriding,” Appl. Surf. Sci., 515 (2020). Article number 145942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145942
5. V. M. Posuvailo, I. V. Kovalchuk, H. H. Veselivska, and I. B. Ivasenko, “Properties of oxide ceramic coatings on AK9M2 alloy synthesized in electrolyte modified with hydrogen peroxide,” Mater. Sci., 58, No. 1, 112-1188 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-022-00638-2
6. F. Jaspard-Mécuson, T. Czerwiec, G. Henrion, T. Belmonte, L. Dujardin, A. Viola, and J. Beauvir, “Tailored aluminium oxide layers by bipolar current adjustment in the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process,” Surf. & Coat. Technol., 201, Is. 21, 8677-8682 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2006.09.005
7. Y. Chen, X. Zheng, H. Ji, and C. Ding, “Effect of Ti-OH formation on bioactivity of vacuum plasma sprayed titanium coating after chemical treatment,” Surf. & Coat. Technol., 202, Is. 3, 494-498 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2007.06.015
8. O. V. Tkachuk, R. V. Proskurnyak, and M. Ya. Holovchuk, “Morphology of hydroxyapatite coatings formed on VT1-0 titanium as a result of combined treatment,’ Mater. Sci., 58, No. 1, 75-79 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-022-00633-7
9. R. I. M. Asri, W. S. W. Harun, M. Samykano, N. A. C. Lah, S. A. C. Ghani, F. Tarlochan, and M. R. Raza, “Corrosion and surface modification on biocompatible metals: A review,” Mater. Sci. Eng. C, 77, 1261-1274 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2017.04.102
10. H. Ji, X. Xie, Z. Jiang, and X. Wu, “Wear and corrosion of titanium alloy spinal implants in vivo,” Scientific Reports, 14, Is. 1 (2024). Article number 16847. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68057-8
11. A. Fattah-alhosseini, R. Chaharmahali, B. Dikici, and M. Kaseem, “A comprehensive review of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of tantalum (Ta): Mechanisms, properties, and applications,” Int. J. of Refractory Metals and Hard Mater., 128 (2025). Article number 107059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2025.107059
12. L. O Snizhko, A. L Yerohin, A. Pilkington, N. L. Gurevina, D. O. Misnyankina, A. Leyland, and A. Matthews, “Anodic processes in plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminium in alkaline solutions,” Electrochimica Acta, 49, Is. 13, 2085 -2095 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2003.11.027
13. I. M. Pohrelyuk, O. V. Tkachuk, R. V. Proskurnyak, O. V. Kuznetsov, and Ya. M. Gnilitskyi, “Morphology and corrosion properties of hydroxyapatite coating on VT6 titanium alloy,” Mater. Sci., 58, No. 6, 781-787 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-023-00730-1
14. M. Student, I. Pohrelyuk, J. Padgurskas, I. Kovalchuk, and A. Kychma, “Influence of plasma electrolytic oxidation of cast Al-Si alloys on their phase composition and abrasive wear resistance,” Coatings, 13, Is. 3 (2023). Article number 637. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030637
15. A. Krzakała, A. Kazek-Ke, and W. Simka, “Application of plasma electrolytic oxidation to bioactive surface formation on titanium and its alloys,” RSC Advances, 3, Is. 43 (2013). Article number 19725. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ra43465f
16. S. Aliasghari, P. Skeleton, and G. E. Thompson, “Plasma electrolytic oxidation of titanium in a phosphate/silicate electrolyte and tribological performance of the coatings,” Appl. Surf. Sci., 316, Is. 1, 463-476 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.08.037
17. M. D. Klapkiv, O. S. Chuchmarev, P. Ya. Sydor, and V. M. Posuvailo, “Thermodynamics of the interaction of aluminum, magnesium, and zirconium with components of an electrolytic plasma,” Mater. Sci., 36, No. 1, 66-79 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02805119
18. S. Stojadinović, R. Vasilić, M. Petković, and L. Zeković, “Plasma electrolytic oxidation of titanium in heteropolytungstate acids,” Surf. & Coat. Technol., 206, Iss. 2-3, 575-581 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2011.07.090
19. S. Stojadinović, J. Radic-Peric, R. Vasilic, and M. Perić, “Spectroscopic investigation of direct current (DC) plasma electrolytic oxidation of zirconium in citric acid,” Appl. Spectroscopy, 68, Is. 1, 101-112 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1366/13-07198
20. Gh. Barati Darband, M. Aliofkhazraei, P. Hamghalam, and N. Valizade, “Plasma electrolytic oxidation of magnesium and its alloys: Mechanism, properties and applications,” J. of Mag-nesium and Alloys, 5, Is. 1, 74-132 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2017.02.004
21. S. Durdu, and M. Usta, “Characterization and mechanical properties of coatings on magnesium by micro arc oxidation,” Appl. Surf. Sci., 261, 774-782 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.08.099
22. Cai Ran, Nie Xueyuan, Lyu Yezhe, and Wahlström Jens, “Tribological behavior and wear particle emission influenced by surface conditions of cast iron discs,” Surf. & Coat. Techn., 499 (2025). Article number 131875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.131875
23. A. Fattah-alhosseini, M. Molaei, N. Attarzadeh, K. Babaei, and F. Attarzadeh, “On the enhanced antibacterial activity of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings that incorporate particles: a review,” Ceram. Int., 46, Is. 13, 20587-20607 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.05.206
24. V. M. Posuvailo, M. D. Klapkiv, M. M. Student, Y. Y. Sirak, and H. V. Pokhmurska, “Gibbs energy calculation of electrolytic plasma channel with inclusions of copper and copper oxide with Al-base,” Mater. Sci. and Eng., 181, Is. 1 (2017). Article number 012045. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/181/1/012045
25. V. M. Posuvailo, and I. V. Kovalchuk, “Influence of hydrogen on the synthesis of oxide-ceramic coatings on aluminum alloys in electrolytic plasmas,” Mater. Sci., 56, No.4, 560-569 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-021-00464-y
26. T. Paulmier, J. Bell, and P. Fredericks, “Development of a novel cathodic plasma/electrolytic deposition technique. P. 2: Physico-chemical analysis of the plasma discharge,” Surf. & Coat. Technol., 201, Is. 21, 8771-8781 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2006.07.066
27. https://janaf.nist.gov/periodic_table.html
28. J. Rodriguez-Carvajal, Fullprof: “A Program for Rietveld refinement and pattern matching analysis,” in: Abstract of the Satellite Meeting on Powder Diffraction of the XV Congress of the IUCr, Toulouse, France (1990), p. 128.