Quaternary diborides-improving the oxidation resistance of TiB_2z coatings by disilicide alloying

To overcome the limited oxidation resistance of the emerging class of transition metal borides, we suggest within this study novel quaternary diborides, Ti-TM-Si-B-2 +/- z (TM = Ta, Mo), achieving the compromise between excellent oxidation resistance and requirements of hard coatings. Single-phase AlB2-type structured Ti-TM-Si-B-2 +/- z films (3-5 mu m) are sputter-deposited from TiB2/TMSi2 targets. The Ti-Ta-Si-B-2 +/- z coatings exhibit 36 GPa in hardness, while maintaining strongly retarded oxidation kinetics till 1000 degrees C. Ti-Mo-Si-B-2 +/- z coatings preserve a hardness up to 27 GPa, although outperforming all their counterparts by featuring outstanding oxidation resistance with 440nm oxide scale thickness after 1 h at 1200 degrees C. [GRAPHICS] IMPACT STATEMENT First report on quaternary Ti-TM-Si-B-2 +/- z coatings stabilized in hexagonal AlB2-prototype structures. These hard coating materials exhibit unprecedented oxidation resistance up to 1200 degrees C due to the formation of Si-rich scales.