Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) corrosion mechanism of nano-amorphous composite TiSiN coatings synthesized by cathodic arc ion plating

Abstract TiSiN coatings with different silicon content were deposited on 316 L steel by cathodic arc ion plating. After exposure, TiSiN coated samples presented good LBE corrosion resistance as compared with the bare steel. The main changes in TiSiN coatings were the oxidation of Ti and TiN and the PbBi penetration. The penetration depth was highly dependent on the silicon content and the observed lowest depth was 0.6 μm in coating deposited by Ti80Si20. The outstanding corrosion resistance could be attributed to the diffusion inhabitation function of amorphous Si3N4. A model has been proposed to illustrate the corrosion mechanism of TiSiN coating in LBE.