SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE, AND PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF PVD MAX PHASE COATINGS. A REVIEW. PART II. STRUCTURE, PROPERTIES, APPLICATION PROSPECTS

The unique hybrid properties of ceramics and metals due to their special nanolayer structure make MAX phases an attractive material for working in harsh environments. Successes in the development of PVD processes for the synthesis of nanocrystalline coatings of MAX phases at low temperatures on technologically important substrates open up significant prospects for their application. This part of the review is devoted to the properties of MAX phases that make them useful for creating multifunctional coatings to protect the surface of materials operating under difficult conditions of high temperature, corrosion, and radiation. The influence of PVD deposition parameters on the structure of MAX phase coatings is analyzed. The peculiarities of the mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings, their resistance to erosion, corrosion, and radiation, and their ability to self-repair damage at high temperatures are discussed. Prospects for the use of MAX phase PVD coatings in various industries and ways to improve their protective properties are considered.