In this study, a zirconium nitride/chromium nitride nano-multilayer coating was deposited on AISI 304 specimen using cathodic arc evaporation-physical vapor deposition (CAE-PVD). The characterization of the samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission-SEM (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To evaluate effect of immersion time on the electrochemical behavior of ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out in 3.5 wt. % NaCl media. Using the CAE-PVD method, nano-multilayer ZrN/CrN coating with high adhesion and density was successfully produced. A unique high polarization resistance of ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coatings in comparison to AISI 304 stainless steel without coating was made. As well as the desirable behavior corrosion results showed that in the ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating to the AISI 304 substrate within the 3.5 wt. % NaCl, there is a barrier against corrosive agents that is preventing corrosion occurrence. The SEM images disclosed that there were not any pits or severe damages on the surface of the ZrN/CrN nano-multilayer coating. The FE-SEM micrographs show that the coating structure contains alternate layers of ZrN and CrN. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and x-ray map were disclosed elements distribution in the cross-section of the nano-multilayer coating.
