The paper discusses the results of investigations of material, tribological and anti-corrosion properties of hybrid coatings of the Cr/CrN type, consisting of chromium and chromium nitride, formed on the surface of alloy tool steel by the Arc-PVD method. Investigations of the morphology and microstructure of hybrid coatings, as well as of their phase composition were carried out. The studies on mechanical properties included tests on hardness and Young’s modulus using the nanoindentation method. Tests on adhesion were conducted using the scratch-test method. Tribological properties of the obtained coatings were evaluated by the pin-on-disc method. Resistance to corrosion was determined by electrochemical methods. It was shown that hybrid coatings of the Cr/CrN type are characterized by good adhesion to the substrate and very good tribological properties, as well as by very good resistance to corrosion in a solution containing chlorine ions.

The paper addresses an important scientific topic from the utilitarian point of view concerning the surface treatment of Al-Si-Cu aluminum alloys by PVD/ALD hybrid coating deposition. The influence of the conditions of deposition of titanium oxide in CrN/TiO2 coatings on their structure and properties, in particular corrosion resistance, were investigated. The TiO2 layer was produced by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method with a variable number of cycles. Structural investigations were performed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy methods. Electrochemical properties were analyzed using potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The CrN/TiO2 hybrid coating with titanium oxide deposited at 500 ALD cycles showed the best corrosion properties. It was also found that the prerequisite for obtaining the best electrochemical properties was the amorphous structure of titanium oxide in the tested hybrid coatings. The high tribological properties of the tested coatings were also confirmed.