Improved fatigue properties of 316L stainless steel using glass-forming coatings

The effects of the glass-forming coatings on the fatigue behavior of 316L stainless steel were investigated. Films consisting of 47%Zr, 31%Cu, 13%Al and 9%Ni (atomic percent) were deposited onto the stainless steel by magnetron sputtering. The influences of the substrate condition, the surface roughness, the adhesion, and the compressive residual stresses on the fatigue behavior were studied. The applications of the glass-forming coating gave rise to significant improvements in both the fatigue life and the fatigue limit, in comparison with the uncoated steel. Depending on the maximum stress applied to the steel, the fatigue life can be increased by at least 30 times, and the fatigue limit can be elevated by 30%.