The Tribological Behavior of a Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb Alloy Under Liquid Paraffine Lubrication

The tribological behavior of a Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy prepared by hot-pressed sintering was investigated under liquid paraffine lubrication against AISI 52100 steel ball in ambient environment and at varying loads and sliding speeds. For comparison, the tribological behavior of a common Ti-6Al-4V alloy was also examined under the same testing conditions. The worn surfaces of the two alloys were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The friction coefficient of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy in the range of 0.13–0.18 was significantly lower than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (0.4–0.5), but comparable to that under dry sliding, which indicated that TiAl intermetallics could be more effectively lubricated by liquid paraffine than titanium alloys. Applied load and sliding speed have little effect on the friction coefficient of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy. The wear rate of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy was about 45–120 times lower than that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy owing to Ti-6Al-4V alloy could not be lubricated effectively. The wear rate of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy increased with increasing applied load, but decreased slightly at first and then increased with increasing sliding speed. The wear mechanism of the Ti-46Al-2Cr-2Nb intermetallics under liquid paraffine lubrication was dominated by main plowing and slight flaking-off, but that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy was plastic deformation and severe delamination.     

不同摩擦副条件下Ti-6Al-4V合金的微磨粒磨损行为

采用TE66微磨粒磨损实验机对医用Ti-6Al-4V钛合金在不同摩擦副条件下的微磨粒磨损行为进行研究,考察滑行距离、载荷对其微磨粒磨损的影响,通过观察磨斑形貌,分析其磨损机制。研究结果表明:Ti-6Al-4V合金的磨损量随滑移距离和载荷增加而增加,磨损率则相反,并且硬度较高的Si3N4陶瓷球对合金造成的磨损量和磨损率均低于ZrO2陶瓷球;在不同摩擦副条件下,随着滑行距离和载荷的增加,Ti-6Al-4V合金的磨损机制均由三体磨损转变为二三体混合磨损,所不同的是与Si3N4陶瓷球对摩时合金的混合磨损区域要少于与ZrO2陶瓷球对摩时。     

Influence of Deposition Positions on Fretting Behaviors of DLC Coating on Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract

The influence of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating positions—coated flat, coated cylinder, and self-mated coated surface tribopairs—on the fretting behaviors of Ti-6Al-4V were investigated using a fretting wear test rig with a cylinder-on-flat contact. The results indicated that, for tests without coating (Ti-6Al-4V–Ti-6Al-4V contact), the friction (Q_max/P) was high (0.8–1.2), wear volumes were large (0.08–0.1?mm³) under a large displacement amplitude of ±40 µm and small (close to 0) under a small displacement amplitude of ±20 µm, and the wear debris was composed of Ti-6Al-4V flakes and oxidized particles. For tests with the DLC coating, under low load conditions, the DLC coating was not removed or was only partially removed, Q_max/P was low (≤0.2), and the wear volumes were small. Under high load conditions, the coating was entirely removed, Q_max/P was high (0.6–0.8), and the wear volumes were similar to those in tests without coating. The wear debris was composed of DLC particles, Ti-6Al-4V flakes, and oxidized particles. The DLC coating was damaged more severely when deposited on a flat surface than when deposited on a cylindrical surface. The DLC coating was damaged more severely when sliding against a DLC-coated countersurface than when sliding against the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.     

Tribological behaviour of plasma nitrided Ti-5Al-2Nb-1Ta alloy against UHMWPE

A detailed study has been made on the wear behaviour of untreated and plasma nitrided Ti-5Al-2Nb-1Ta orthopaedic alloy against ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) using pin on disc tribometer under lubricated conditions. The effects of nitriding temperature and nitriding time on the basis of the evolution of the wear volume loss and friction coefficient were investigated. The wear resistance of the plasma nitrided alloys increased considerably when compared to the untreated alloy. The wear debris identified using X-ray diffraction measurements indicated the formation of titanium oxide and titanium oxynitride particles. The wear rate was found to increase with increase in load and sliding velocity.     

Comparative study on tribology and microhardness of laser synthesized Ti-Al2O3/Zn coatings on Ti-6Al-4V alloy

ABSTRACT

The study of laser cladding of 90Ti-10Al₂O₃, 90Ti-8Al₂O₃-2Zn and 90Ti-4Al₂O₃-6Zn coatings onto Ti-6Al-4V alloy, with intention to produce defect-less, high microhardness and wear resistant coating was carried out. The coatings were deposited onto Ti-6Al-4V alloy at 900 W laser power and 0.6 m/min laser scan speed. Microstructures and phase constituents of the developed coatings were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer correspondingly. Vickers microhardness tester and pin-on-disk tribometer were employed to characterize microhardness and wear behaviour of the Ti-Al₂O₃/Zn coatings respectively. SEM was also used to examine the worn track. It was observed that 90Ti-10Al₂O₃ coating yielded optimal microhardness along with maximal wear resistance in comparison to the other coatings and Ti-6Al-4V alloy. It has been established that laser cladding of Ti-Al₂O₃ coating with Zn contents on Ti-6Al-4V alloy alleviates the formation of cracks, however, microhardness and wear properties are negatively affected.     

Sliding wear behaviour of ion implanted ultra high molecular weight polyethylene against a surface modified titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V

A study has been made of the sliding wear behaviour of untreated and ion implanted ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against a surface modified titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using a pin on disc apparatus. It was found that the presence of water lubrication and a very smooth counterface was necessary to maintain low wear rates of the UHMWPE. A ‘zero wear’ effect was observed when nitrogen implanted UHMWPE was tested against very smooth counterfaces (R_a ≈ 0.03 μm) of either surface oxidized or nitrogen implanted Ti-6Al-4V under water lubrication. The enhanced mechanical and physical properties of the surface treated materials are believed to be responsible for the improved wear performance.     

Mechanical properties of the alloy Ti-6Al-4V irradiated with swift Kr ion

The radiation damage effect on the friction coefficient, wear, and microhardness of the alloy Ti-6Al-4V after 250 MeV krypton ion irradiation was studied. Tribological measurements were made in air, oxygen, and argon atmospheres and in a vacuum. The smallest friction coefficient for the irradiated samples occurred in argon and the vacuum. The wear of the unirradiated samples and those irradiated with low fluences (<10¹³ cm⁻²) increased in the vacuum and argon atmosphere. Wear was significantly reduced after irradiation with the fluence of 10¹⁴ cm⁻². The microhardness of the alloy Ti-6Al-4V increased by over 25% after irradiation with a large fluence.     

A comparative study of the tribological behaviour of PVD coatings on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy

This work focuses on the tribological behaviour of PVD coated Ti-6Al-4V. Commercially available single layer CrN, CrN/NbN superlattice and multilayer WC/C coatings were taken into consideration. The dry sliding behaviour of the coated systems was studied by a flat-on-cylinder tribometer (load range 30–60 N). A critical load, corresponding to the end of coating life, was identified for each coated system. The highest critical loads were observed for CrN- and WC/C-coated Ti-6Al-4V. However, only WC/C also led to a significant decrease of the coefficient of friction. The good performance of WC/C-coated Ti-6Al-4V was ascribed to both the high H/E ratio of the coating and to the best match of elastic modulus with the substrate.     

Influence of Rapidly Solidified Structures on Wear Behavior of Ti-6AI-4V Laser Alloyed with TiC

In this paper the influence of rapidly solidified structures on the wear behavior of Ti-6Al-4V laser alloyed with TiC is studied by using an unlubricated sliding wear test. The results show that laser surface alloying with TiC can significantly increase wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V. The wear of Ti-6Al-4V is characterized by adhesive de-lamination and melting showing a severe wear mechanism, while after alloying with TiC, it is changed into a mild wear mechanism characterized by a smooth, worn surface. This is attributed to directional fast-growing dendrites capped by a TiN/TiC film with high hardness and framed α marlensites obtained in rapid solidification.     

Assessment of the machinability of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using the wear map approach

The high strength to density ratio of titanium alloys coupled with excellent corrosion resistance even at elevated temperatures make them ideal for aerospace applications. Moreover, the biocompatibility of titanium also enables its widespread use in the biomedical and food processing industries. However, the difficulty in machining titanium and its alloys along with the high cost of its extraction from ore form presents a major economic constraint. In the context of machining economics, the wear map approach is very useful in identifying the most suitable machining parameters over a feedrate–cutting velocity plane. To date, wear maps have only been prepared for the machining of ferrous alloys. In this article, a review of the machinability of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is presented with emphasis on comparing the wear performance of various tool materials. In addition, a new wear map for Ti-6Al-4V alloy is presented based on unified turning tests using H13A grade carbide inserts. This wear map can be used as a guide in the selection of cutting variables that ensure the least tool wear rates. This article contrasts the occurrence of a safety zone in the case of machining steels to that of an avoidance zone for Ti-6Al-4V alloy.     

The effect of ion implantation on the sliding wear behaviour of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene against an oxidised titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V

Pin-on-disk sliding wear studies have been conducted on untreated and ion-implanted UHMWPE against an oxidised Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Under water lubricated conditions no wear was measured. The enhanced mechanical and physical properties of the surface treated materials are responsible for the improved wear performance which may be of great importance to orthopaedic prostheses.     

Preparation and Tribological Properties of NiCrBSiC Reinforced Laser Alloying Layer

This work is based on dry sliding wear of an NiCrBSiC-reinforced layer deposited on Ti-3Al-2V alloy using the laser alloying technique, the parameters of which could provide almost crack-free layers with minimum dilution and very low porosity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated that a laser alloying layer with a metallurgical joint to the substrate was formed. Compared to Ti-3Al-2V substrate, an improvement in wear resistance was observed for the alloying layer. In addition, the friction and wear behavior of the laser alloying layer was highly dependent on the applied normal load and sliding speed.     

An investigation on sliding wear behavior of PVD coatings

Ti-6Al-4V alloy rubbing against aluminum-bronze 630 was evaluated in this work. High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) WC-10%Co-4%Cr thermal sprayed and TiN, CrN and DLC physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings were applied to increase titanium substrate wear resistance. Pin-on-disk tests were performed with a normal force of 5 N and at a speed of 0.5 m/s, with a quantitative comparison between the five conditions studied. Results showed higher wear resistance for Ti-6Al-4V alloy DLC coated and aluminum-bronze 630 tribological pair and that the presence of graphite carbon structure acting as solid lubricant was the main wear preventing mechanism.     

Response of Ti–6Al–4V and Ti–24Al–11Nb alloys to dry sliding wear against hardened steel

Titanium alloys have been of great interest in recent years because of their very attractive combination of high strength, low density and corrosion resistance. Application of these alloys in areas where wear resistance is also of importance calls for thorough investigations of their tribological properties. In this work, Ti–6Al–4V and Ti–24Al–11Nb alloys were subjected to dry sliding wear against hardened-steel counter bodies and their tribological response was investigated. A pin-on-disc type apparatus was used with a normal load of 15–45N and sliding speed of 1.88 ms⁻¹. In the steady state, it was demonstrated that Ti–24Al–11Nb had a substantially higher wear resistance (about 48 times) than that of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy tested under a normal load of 45 N. Severe delamination is found to be responsible for the low wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V. In the case of Ti–24Al–11Nb, two wear mechanisms have been suggested: delamination with a lower degree of severity and oxidative wear. It is thought that the ability of Ti–24Al–11Nb to form a protective oxide layer during wear results in a much lower wear rate in this alloy.     

Superplastic-like forming of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Superplastic forming of titanium alloys is used for producing structural components, since it is an effective way to manufacture complex-shaped parts in a one-step operation. An optimized sheet-forming process has been designed incorporating a non-isothermal heating system to establish a fast forming process. This work sought to expand the advantages of the technology to the forming of Ti-6Al-4V alloy at 800 °C and shorter cycle time. The minimum thicknesses area was found at the outward corners, showing a maximum percent thinning of 54 %. In addition to stress variations, the cracks resulting from hot drawing and the oxidation on the sheet surface are the other reasons leading to thickness reduction. From the oxidization behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, it was revealed that the decrease in forming temperature from 900 to 800 °C significantly reduced the formation rate of oxide film on the sheet surface. The study also showed that the main microstructure evolution of Ti-6Al-4V alloy under these conditions was recrystallization.     

Investigation on diffusion wear during high-speed machining Ti-6Al-4V alloy with straight tungsten carbide tools

During high-speed machining Ti-6Al-4V alloy, high-temperature at the tool–chip interface and the concentration gradient of chemical species between tool material and workpiece material support the activation of diffusion process, and therefore the crater wear forms on the rake surface of the cutting tool at a short distance from the cutting edge. In this paper, the diffusion analysis was theoretically proposed. The constituent diffusion at the contact interface between tool material and Ti-6Al-4V alloy at high-temperature environment, the crater wear on the rake surface of the tool, and the chips collected from high-speed milling Ti-6Al-4V alloy with straight tungsten carbide tools were analyzed by the scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The constituents inside the tool could diffuse into the workpiece and the diffusion layer was very thin and close to the interface. Compared with the diffusion of tungsten and carbon atoms, the pulling out and removing of the tungsten carbide (WC) particles due to cobalt diffusion dominated the crater wear mechanism on the rake surface of the cutting tool.     

The corrosion-wear behaviour of thermally oxidised CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V

The use of commercial purity titanium (CP-Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V alloys in bio-medical implant applications has been limited by their poor resistance to surface degradation processes. In this paper the corrosion-wear behaviour of untreated and thermally oxidised CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V have been compared. Oxidation of both alloys at 625 °C for 36 h resulted in the formation of an exterior layer of TiO₂ (rutile) that had a hardness ∼1000 HV. Corrosion-wear tests were made in reciprocation sliding contact with an α-Al₂O₃ ball immersed in physiological saline (0.89% NaCl) at room temperature. The oxidation treatment retarded the corrosion-wear of both CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V. For the untreated alloys, surface damage was dominated by micro-asperity shearing which resulted in rapid wear. Corrosion-wear of the oxidised materials was slower but more complex. The exterior TiO₂ layer formed on the oxidised Ti-6Al-4V alloy provided little protection, it was rapidly removed during the first 60 min of testing, by a process involving interfacial fracture. Conversely, the TiO₂ layer, albeit thinner, provided protection for the oxidised CP-Ti. Here, the layer becomes smoothly worn by a process that is proposed to be caused by the mechanical dissociation of the TiO₂-layer. For both oxidised titanium alloys the hardened oxygen diffusion zone (ODZ), formed beneath the TiO₂ layer, provided good protection from corrosion-wear. In both cases the ODZ was smoothly worn by a combination of abrasion and corrosion-wear processes. The latter process, termed Type I corrosion-wear, involves the repetitive mechanical degradation of the passive film that forms through aqueous corrosion. However, this is a relatively slow process.     

Effect of grain refinement and modification on the dry sliding wear behaviour of eutectic Al-Si alloys

The present study deals with an investigation of dry sliding wear behaviour of grain refined and or modified eutectic (Al-12Si) Al-Si alloy by using a Pin-On-Disc machine. The indigenously developed Al-1Ti-3B and Al-10Sr master alloys were used as grain refiner and modifier for the grain refinement of α-Al dendrites and modification of eutectic Si, respectively. Various parameters have been studied such as alloy composition, sliding speed, sliding distance and normal pressure. The cast alloys, master alloys and worn surfaces were characterized by SEM/EDX microanalysis. Results suggest that, the wear resistance of eutectic Al-Si alloys increases with the addition of grain refiner (Al-1Ti-3B) and or modifier (Al-10Sr). Further, the worn surface studies show that adhesive wear was observed in Al-12Si alloy in the absence of grain refiner and modifier. However, an abrasive and oxidative wear was observed when the grain refiner and modifier are added to the same alloy. Commercially available LM-6 (12.5%Si) alloy was used for comparison.     

A study of the cutting-induced heating effect on the machined surface in ultra-precision raster milling of 6061 Al alloy

Ti-6Al-4V alloy is an attractive material in many industries due to its unique and excellent combination of strength to weight ratio and their resistance to corrosion. However, because of its low thermal conductivity and high chemical reactivity, Ti-6Al-4V alloy is generally classified as a difficult-to-cut material that can be characterized by low productivity and rapid tool wear rate even at conventional cutting speeds. It is well known that tool wear has a strong relationship with the cutting forces and a sound knowledge about correlation between cutting forces variation and tool wear propagation is vital to monitor and optimize the automatic manufacturing process. In the present study, high-speed end-milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with uncoated cemented tungsten carbide tools under dry cutting conditions is experimentally investigated. The main objective of this work is to analyze the tool wear and the cutting forces variation during high-speed end-milling Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The experimental results show that the major tool wear mechanisms in high-speed end-milling Ti-6Al-4V alloy with uncoated cemented tungsten carbide tools are adhesion and diffusion at the crater wear along with adhesion and abrasion at the flank wear. The cutting force component in the negative y-direction is more dominant of the three components and displays significantly higher magnitudes than that of the other two components in x- and z-directions. The variation of cutting force component F _y has a positive correlation with the tool wear propagation, which can be used as a tool wear indicator during automatic manufacturing process.