Evaluation of vanadium carbide coatings on AISI H13 obtained by thermo-reactive deposition/diffusion technique

Vanadium carbide coatings on AISI H13 steel were prepared by thermo-reactive deposition/diffusion process (TRD) in molten salt bath for 1 to 6 h at 920 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. The obtained coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Equiaxed grains were observed throughout the coatings. The grain size gradually increased from the coating/substrate interface to the top surface. The coatings were composed of ordered state V6C5 phase and disordered state VCx (x = 0.83–0.88) phases and had a preferential orientation of (111) and (200) planes. The values of nano-indentation hardness and elastic modulus of the coating are 28.1 ± 0.7 GPa and 421 ± 14 GPa, respectively. The growth of the vanadium carbide coating by the TRD process followed a parabolic kinetics with an activation energy of 199.3 kJ/mol. The variation of the coating thickness on the AISI H13 steel with treating time and temperature can be determined.