Titanium nitride

Titanium nitride (TiN) is a hard, refractory ceramic compound of titanium and nitrogen. Its metallic gold color and resistance to wear make it a common coating for tools and components.

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Physical vapor deposition: A family of vacuum coating processes that form thin films by vaporizing and depositing material. PVD is a principal route for applying thin TiN coatings to tools.
Rock salt structure: A cubic crystal structure in which two interpenetrating lattices give each ion octahedral coordination. TiN adopts this structure, with titanium and nitrogen occupying alternating lattice sites.
Titanium: A light, strong transition metal with the chemical symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Titanium supplies the metal atoms in titanium nitride.
Wear: The gradual loss or deformation of material caused by contact, motion, or environmental exposure. TiN coatings can slow wear on surfaces exposed to repeated sliding or cutting.
Cutting tool: A tool that removes material from a workpiece by shearing or abrasion. TiN coatings reduce wear on many metal-cutting tools.
Ceramic: An inorganic, nonmetallic solid formed from compounds such as oxides, nitrides, or carbides. TiN is a ceramic whose bonding also allows substantial electrical conductivity.
Nitrogen: A chemical element with symbol N and atomic number 7, occurring mainly as N₂ gas in Earth’s atmosphere. Nitrogen supplies the nonmetal atoms in TiN’s crystal lattice.
Friction: The force that resists relative motion between contacting surfaces. TiN’s frictional behavior affects heat generation and performance in coated contacts.
Drill bit: A rotary cutting tool that makes holes in solid materials. Gold-colored TiN coatings are commonly applied to drill bits to improve surface durability.
Chemical vapor deposition: A process that forms a solid film through chemical reactions of gaseous precursors at a surface. CVD is an alternative to PVD for producing TiN films, often at higher temperatures.