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TiN - Hydrogen Embrittlement?

First, are TiN coatings/layers or nitrided titanium parts subject to hydrogen embrittlement? How about nitrided stainless or other steels?

Second, how do the latter compare with TiN for chemical and oxidation resistance? I am interested in using gas nitrided materials and/or materials with nitride coatings to improve the performance of systems that I use.

Dave Lowe
- Mountain View, California USA
2000

If TiN is deposited using a PVD technique I don't see why it should show hydrogen embrittlement. This is because most PVD techniques only use Ar and N2 to reactively sputter TiN. I think some CVD techniques use titanium chloride and ammonia. The hydrogen in the ammonia ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] might cause hydrogen embrittlement but I don't know. As to the nitrided steels I would expect it depends on the gas used for nitriding.

As to how TiN holds up to oxidation or corrosion versus nitrided steels? This is dependent on the corrosion environment. TiN is oxidation resistant up to about 1000F.

As a side note, TiN has been used as a hydrogen diffusion barrier on stainless steel vacuum chambers. This seems to indicate that a TiN coated part should resist hydrogen embrittlement in a hydrogen containing environment better than an uncoated steel.

John Davis
- Berthoud, Colorado, USA
2000