Evaluation of Plastic Properties of PVD TiAlCrSiN Coating Via Nanoindentation and Iterative Finite Element Modeling

Abstract Physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings are critical for enhancing the durability of cutting tools subjected to severe thermomechanical loads. The wear resistance of these coatings is fundamentally dictated by their mechanical properties, especially elastic and plastic properties that can be delineated by the flow curve. While nanoindentation is a standard technique for determining the elastic modulus, extracting plastic flow curve parameters for thin ceramic nanocomposite coatings remains challenging. This study utilizes an inverse finite element method (FEM) framework, wherein the nanoindentation process is numerically modeled and the material parameters are iteratively optimized to minimize the residual error between experimental and simulated load-depth curves. This work provides an in-depth analysis of this framework and, based on the detailed investigation of the problem, proposes a streamlined and more computationally efficient workflow, offering improved user accessibility compared to previous works. The practical application of this refined workflow is validated through the characterization of the constitutive flow behavior of the quaternary TiAlCrSiN coating, providing a reliable basis for predicting coating performance in high-load engineering applications.