High-Performance Boride Coatings

High-performance boride coatings are wear-resistant protective coatings based on boron compounds such as titanium boride (TiB₂), chromium boride (CrB₂), or other metal borides. They are characterized by exceptionally high hardness, high thermal stability, and good resistance to abrasion, oxidation, and corrosive media. This makes them particularly suitable for tools and components used under extreme mechanical and thermal stresses.

The coatings are typically deposited using PVD or CVD processes. Depending on the material system, properties such as hardness, friction behavior, temperature resistance, or chemical resistance can be specifically tailored to the respective application. Boride coatings can be used both as single layers and in combination with other hard coatings in multilayer or nanolaminate systems.

Typical applications include forming tools, cutting tools, die-casting molds, and components for the aerospace, energy, and chemical industries. In these applications, high-performance boride coatings help reduce wear, extend service life, and increase process reliability even under demanding operating conditions.

Current research focuses, among other things, on novel boride multicomponent coatings, nanostructured coating systems, and optimized deposition processes. The goal is to further improve the combination of hardness, toughness, and oxidation resistance and to open up new fields of application for high-performance coatings.