Pulsed electrode surfacing of steel with TiC coating: Microstructure and wear properties

In the present study, pulse electrode surfacing (PES) technique was employed to deposit ultrahard and wear-resistant titanium carbide (TiC) coating on AISI 1018 steel. Wear resistance of the coated surface increased significantly. An attempt was made to correlate the thermodynamic predictions and experimental observations. A composite coating that is adherent, crack free, and defect free in nature was obtained, with TiC being the most stable phase. Islands of TiC of various shapes and sizes are present in the Fe-rich matrix in the coating. Microhardness measurements suggest high hardness values in the coating region. Tribological properties such as wear resistance and coefficient of friction were also measured. The coefficient of friction data do not show significant fluctuations. Wear and friction phenomena in such a coating have been explained on the basis of a model based on composite/multiphase material.