Krzysztof Kulikowski

• Warsaw University of Technology

This study investigates the microstructural characteristics and adhesion properties of AlFeCr coatings deposited on W320 hot work alloy steel via magnetron sputtering. The aim was to enhance adhesion properties by optimizing substrate temperature and interlayer design. The results reveal that higher substrate temperatures during deposition improve...

In this study, the AlCoCrFeNiTi 0.2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) was plasma nitrided to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-entropy nitrides formed in the surface layer of the bulk sample. XRD measurements revealed a BCC → FCC crystal structure transformation, with the σ phase disappearing and hexagonal aluminum nitride eme...

In search of opportunities to improve mechanical properties and abrasion resistance, composites based on aluminum reinforced with MoS2 particles were produced. The authors’ previous research indicated the possibility of obtaining hard dispersion precipitates of the Al12Mo intermetallic phase as a result of the reaction of the composite components a...

This study presents a comparative analysis of the corrosion resistance of nitrided layers on conventional Grade 2 titanium alloy and those produced by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Low-temperature glow-discharge nitriding of the tested materials was carried out using conventional glow-discharge nitriding (so-called nitriding at the cathode p...

Background: The NiTi alloy, known for its shape memory and superelasticity, is increasingly used in medicine. However, its high nickel content requires enhanced biocompatibility for long-term implants. Low-temperature plasma treatments under glow-discharge conditions can improve surface properties without compromising mechanical integrity. Methods:...

In this paper, glow nitriding processes at cathode potential are used at various temperatures to investigate how they affect the corrosion resistance of 316L steel in ethanol at temperatures of 22 °C and −30 °C. Lowering the test temperature reduces the corrosion rate of the nitrided layers. Conversely, glow nitriding at 450 °C improves the corrosi...

Bulk metallic glasses are modern engineering materials with unique functional properties. Zr-based alloys are particularly attractive as they exhibit high glass forming ability as well as good mechanical properties. Due to their relatively high thermal stability, reaching as much as 400 °C, they can be surface-treated in low-temperature plasma to f...

This paper describes a strategy for creating highly oriented crystalline-amorphous composites using the laserpowder bed fusion (LPBF) process. The strategy involves using a novel two-stage melting approach and ultra-high-pressure hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on well-known AMZ4 (Zr59.3Cu28.8Al10.4Nb1.5) and equiatomic CuZramorphous alloys.The experi...

The paper investigates the influence of the ion-nitriding process on the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and tensile strength at elevated temperatures of Haynes 282 nickel superalloy specimens produced by the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technique. The study was performed for two conditions, i.e., as-built by DMLS method and as-built b...

The scientific goal of this paper is to study and explain the relationship between the microstructure of a ceramic–intermetallic composite fabricated by consolidating a mixture of Al2O3 and NiAl-Al2O3 using the PPS technique and its basic mechanical properties. Six series of composites were manufactured. The obtained samples differed in the sinteri...

In this work, AlCr and AlCrFe coatings were deposited via magnetron sputtering on technical substrates of carbon steel C45 and titanium grade 2. The coatings feature an amorphous structure, a thickness of 3–4 μm, and are uniform in terms of thickness and chemical composition. No major defects were visible at the interface; however, there is no diff...

The paper investigates the influence of ion nitriding on the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and tensile strength at elevated temperatures of Haynes 282 nickel superalloy specimens produced by the Direct Metal Laser Sintering-DMLS technique. Analysis of the specimens’ surface morphology revealed that the ion nitriding process significantly af...

This work presents the potential for using pulsed gas injection to produce amorphous carbon films. In this experiment, the frequency of injecting small amounts of gas was used to control the pressure amplitudes, thus achieving the conditions of plasma generation from stationary, through quasi-stationary, to pulsed oscillations of pressure. In addit...

Carbon ion self-sputtering attained by sublimation of hot graphite target and controlled by pulse injection of a neon-helium gas mixture, Applied Surface Science (2023), Abstract The operation of graphite targets with an increased temperature (HT-hot target) is studied for the case of gas injection magnetron sputtering (GIMS) of: 1) diamond-like ca...

In this paper, we analyze the possibilities of the protection of tools for wood machining with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) hard coatings. The nanolayered TiN/AlTiN coating, nanocomposite TiAlSiN coatings, and single layer TiN coating were analyzed in order to use them for protection of tools for wood machining. Both nanostructured coatings were...

This paper reports the results obtained from the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on glass substrates by gas injection magnetron sputtering method. The conducted studies aimed to evaluate if the plasma discharge that is generated by varying the proportions of neon−argon (Ne−Ar) gases during pulsed injections (0%-100%) would promote the...

AISI 316L steel was subjected to nitrocarburizing under glow discharge conditions, which was followed by DLC (diamond-like carbon) coatings deposition using the same device. The coatings were applied under conditions of direct current and pulsed glow discharge. In order to determine the influence of the produced nitrocarbon austenite layer and the...

The aim of this study was to assess whether it is possible to produce a high adhesive carbon coating by applying low-temperature RFCVD and glow discharge methods on nanobainitic X37CrMoV5-1 steel with and without nitrided sublayer. For this purpose, several methods of investigation were used: observations of coating morphology by scanning electron...

Plasma nitriding of titanium Grade 2 and Ti6Al7Nb titanium alloy at 730°C was used to produce nitrided surface layers with an outer zone consisting of nanocrystalline titanium nitride - TiN, and a Ti2N zone right above the αTi(N) diffusion area. The paper presents a comparison of structure (TEM, SEM), phase composition (XRD, SAED) surface topograph...

Improvement of the tribological properties of steels can be achieved by increasing the hardness of the surface and by reducing roughness and the coefficient of friction. The formation of composite layers on steel, consisting of a hard nitrided or nitrocarburised diffusion layer and an external carbon coating with a low coefficient of friction, seem...

Unlike aluminium oxide surface layers, magnesium oxide layers obtained by anodising processes exhibit some drawbacks, especially chemical instability in the presence of humidity, resulting in susceptibility to cracking and spalling. This work was dedicated to the development of a new hybrid method allowing us to produce composite aluminium oxide su...

The key issue in bone implants biomechanics is – besides using biocompatible materials - the optimization of tribological properties of friction pairs occurring in joint implants e.g. knee and hip endoprothesis. Increasingly important role in these systems, alongside ceramics-on-ceramics and metal-on-metal, have metal-on-polymer friction pairs. Com...

The paper presents results of a study on the quality of coatings deposited on surfaces of AZ31 magnesium alloy products. In order to obtain protective coatings (corrosion and erosive wear protection), the methods of anodising (specimens A, B and C) and, for comparison, electroless plating (specimen D) were applied. The assessment of coating quality...

The article presents a characterisation of nitrided layers produced on austenitic X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (AISI 316L) stainless steel in the course of glow-discharge nitriding at cathodic potential, at plasma potential, and at cathodic potential incorporating an active screen. All processes were carried out at 440 °C under DC glow-discharge conditions and...

The plasma oxynitriding process is a prospective method of producing titanium oxides as an integral part of a diffusive nitrided surface layer on titanium implants. This hybrid process, which combines glow discharge assisted nitriding and oxidizing, permits producing TiO2 + Ti2N + αTi(N)-type diffusive surface layers. The oxynitrided surface layers...