Effect of nitrogen ion implantation dose on torsional fretting wear behavior of titanium and its alloy

Various doses of nitrogen ions were implanted into the surface of pure titanium, Ti6Al7Nb and Ti6Al4V, by plasma immersion ion implantation. Torsional fretting wear tests involving flat specimens of no-treated and treated titanium, as well as its alloys, against a ZrO₂ ball contact were performed on a torsional fretting wear test rig using a simulated physiological medium of serum solution. The treated surfaces were characterized, and the effect of implantation dose on torsional fretting behavior was discussed in detail. The results showed that the torsional fretting running and damage behavior of titanium and its alloys were strongly dependent on the dose of the implanted nitrogen ions and the angular displacement amplitude. The torsional fretting running boundary moved to smaller angular displacement amplitude, and the central light damage zone decreased, as the ion dose increased. The wear mechanisms of titanium and its alloys were oxidative wear, abrasive wear and delamination, with abrasive wear as the most common mechanism of the ion implantation layers.