In some implementations of the current subject matter, a brake rotor can include a supporting layer applied to a friction surface of a brake rotor substrate, which can optionally include cast iron, and a coating applied over the supporting layer. The supporting layer can include a preparatory metal, and the coating can impart wear and corrosion resistant properties to the friction surface. Related systems, methods, articles of manufacture, and the like are disclosed.

A cutting tool comprises a substrate and an AlTiN layer, the AlTiN layer including a first major surface and a second major surface, the AlTiN layer including a first region having a distance of 0 nm or more and 30 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of more than 0 atomic % and less than 5 atomic %, a second region having a distance of more than 30 nm and 100 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of 5 atomic % or more and 30 atomic % or less, and a third region having a distance of more than 100 nm and 150 nm or less from the first major surface and having a maximum oxygen content ratio of more than 0 atomic % and less than 5 atomic %.

A coated cutting tool includes a multilayer of alternating sublayers of κ-Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and sublayers of TiN, TiC, TiCN, TiCO or TiCNO. The multilayer includes at least 3 sublayers of κ-Al.sub.2O.sub.3. The multilayer further exhibits an XRD diffraction over a θ-2θ scan of 15°-140°, wherein the 0 0 2 diffraction peak (peak area) is the strongest peak originating from the κ-Al.sub.2O.sub.3 sublayers of the multilayer.

The present invention relates to a hard film having improved wear resistance and improved toughness. A hard film according to the present invention is formed by using a PVD method on a surface of a base material, wherein: the hard film includes a first hard layer and a second hard layer; the first hard layer has a thickness of approximately 0.1-3.0 μm and is composed of Ti.sub.1-aAl.sub.aN (0.3≤a≤0.7), and has a single phase structure; and the second hard layer has a thickness of approximately 0.5-10 μm and is composed of Ti.sub.1-a-bAl.sub.aMe.sub.bN (0.3≤a≤0.7, 0≤b≤0.05, the Me being at least one selected from V, Zr, Si, Nb, Cr, Mo, Hf, Ta and W); according to an XRD phase analysis method, a ratio ([200]/[111]) of the intensity of a [200] peak to the intensity of a [111] peak is approximately 1.5 or higher; the second hard layer preferentially grows in a [200] direction; the [200] peak is located at approximately 42.7°-44.6° and is composed of three phases, and the [111] peak is located at approximately 37.0°-38.5° and is composed of three phases; and when a peak having a largest intensity among the peaks of the three phases is a main peak and remaining peaks are sub-peaks, a ratio (main peak/sub-peaks) of the intensity of the main peak to the intensities of the sub-peaks in a [200] face is approximately 2 or higher, and a ratio (main peak/sub-peaks) of the intensity of the main peak to the intensities of the sub-peaks in a [111] face is approximately 2 or higher.

A surface-coated cutting tool comprises a hard coat layer including a complex nitride layer on the tool substrate. The complex nitride layer has a composition: (Me.sub.1−x−yAl.sub.xM.sub.y)N.sub.z where Me is Ti or Cr, x≤0.80, 0.00≤y≤0.20, 0.20≤(1−x−y)≤0.65, and 0.90≤z≤1.10 (where x, y, and z represents atomic ratios, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Groups 4 to 6 elements, Y, Si, La, and Ce in the IUPAC periodic table). The hard coat layer has an interfacial region extending from a point above the surface of the tool substrate and having a thickness in a range of 5 to 100 nm, and the N content to the total of Me, Al, M, and N contents is 10 to 30 atomic % at the point and increases toward the surface of the cutting tool.

A composite material includes a substrate that is thermochemically treated in order to harden the surface thereof and that is, therefore, not subject to deformations as a result of high stresses sustained by the outer layer. The composite material also includes an adhesion layer overlying the treated layer. Subsequently, an intermediate layer and a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) layer are added, wherein the DLC layer has a structure based on an amorphous carbon film. The composite material may be used in valves built into submarine equipment. The composite material is thermochemically treated and comprises a treated substrate and an adhesion layer onto which is disposed an intermediate layer that receives a final DLC layer. All of these layers are disposed on the surface of a substrate of a gate valve.

A razor blade including: a substrate having a tip portion including a tip region, a blade body including a base, and first and second outer sides disposed opposite a split line of the substrate that converge at a tip; and first and second coatings disposed substantially on the first and second outer sides, respectively. Also provided is a method of coating the razor blade, including: applying a first coating to at least a portion of the first outer side; and applying a second coating to at least a portion of the second outer side. The first and second coatings each extend from the tip region toward the base and are substantially different, as compared to each other. One or both of the first and second coatings comprise a plurality of layers of material.

An object of the invention is to provide a coated cutting tool whose tool life can be extended by having excellent wear resistance and fracture resistance. The coated cutting tool includes: a substrate; and a coating layer formed on a surface of the substrate, in which the coating layer includes a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer in this order from a substrate side to a surface side of the coating layer, the lower layer includes one or more Ti compound layers formed of a specific Ti compound, the intermediate layer contains TiCNO, TiCO, or TiAlCNO, the upper layer contains α-type Al.sub.2O.sub.3, an average thickness of the lower layer is 2.0 μm or more and 8.0 μm or less, an average thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.5 μm or more and 2.0 μm or less and is 10% or more and 20% or less of a thickness of the entire coating layer, an average thickness of the upper layer is 0.8 μm or more and 6.0 μm or less, and in the intermediate layer, a ratio of a length of CSL grain boundaries to a total length 100% of a total grain boundary is 20% or more and 60% or less.

A coated tool may include a base member and a coating layer located on the base member. The coating layer may include a plurality of AlTi layers including aluminum and titanium as a main component, and a plurality of AlCr layers including aluminum and chromium as a main component. The AlTi layers and the AlCr layers may be located alternately one upon another. The plurality of AlTi layers may include a first AlTi layer and a second AlTi layer located farther away from the base member than the first AlTi layer. Each of the plurality of AlTi layers may further include chromium, and a content ratio of chromium in the second AlTi layer may be higher than a content ratio of chromium in the first AlTi layer.

A method includes casting a metallic material (56) in a mold (20) containing a core, the core having a substrate (40, 44) coated with a coating (42). A removing of the metallic material from the mold and decoring leaves a casting having a layer formed by the coating. The coating has a ceramic having a porosity in a zone (50) near the substrate less than a porosity in a zone (52) away from the substrate.