Influence of chromium nitride ceramic layers thicknesses developed onto 310 h stainless steel on the corrosion resistance

Chromium nitride (CrN) layers of different thicknesses applied on the surface of 310 H stainless steel using the thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) technique were characterized through surface analysis methods (SEM, EDX, GIXRD) and electrochemical tests (potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). Higher polarization resistance value of 1.823x10(5) k Omega xcm(2) obtained in the case of samples coated with a CrN thicker layer indicated that the thicker coatings are more protective and provide better corrosion resistance than thinner ones, a conclusion highlighted by the potentiodynamic polarization tests results.