Reactive Plasma Spray for the Deposition of Ti/TiN Coatings: A Comparative Compositional Study by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)

This paper compares two methods for determining the composition of Ti/TiN coatings deposited by reactive plasma spraying. The coatings were obtained by spraying titanium powder in a low-pressure N2/Ar atmosphere. The resulting film has a variable nitrogen content in the form of titanium nitrides, depending on gas partial pressure, total pressure, sample-source distance, and other parameters. The composition of the film was determined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The two techniques provide similar results and either can be used for the compositional characterization of these coatings.