Advanced protective coatings to improve machining of critical superalloys can help aerospace, energy & petrochemical sectors

Scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, developed and evaluated two nanocomposite protective coatings to improve the durability of cutting tools for machining nickel-based superalloys.

• The two evaluated coatings are Titanium Aluminium Silicon Nitride (TiAlSiN) and Chromium Aluminium Silicon Nitride (CrAlSiN), deposited using cathodic-arc physical vapour deposition.
• For IN718, the TiAlSiN-coated tool improved tool life by about 80% compared with an uncoated tool.
• For IN625, the improvement was about 60%, while for IN617, CrAlSiN increased tool life by more than 200%.
• The study concluded there is no single coating that performs best for every superalloy; effectiveness depends on the chemistry of the material being machined.
• The research was carried out at ARCI's Centre for Engineered Coatings and published in Materials Today Communications.