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.     

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.     

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.     

Effects of Surface Pretreatment of Ti-6AI-4V on the Adhesion and Wear Lifetimes of Sputtered MoS2 Coatings

Improving the adhesion and wear endurance lifetimes of the solid lubricant molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) on titanium (Ti) alloys was studied in this experimental investigation. Ti-6Al-4V alloy specimens were implanted with gas ions or coated with ceramic layers prior to coating with sputtered MoS₂ to investigate the adhesion and wear lifetimes of the MoS₂ coatings. The greatest improvement in scratch adhesion (2.4 times Ti-6Al-4V coated directly with MoS₂) was observed for an MoS₂/diamond-like carbon/Si multilayer coating. Sliding wear tests revealed the greatest lifetime improvement (3.2 ×) was for an MoS₂/TiC dual-layer coating. Increased MoS₂ adhesion was observed for pretreated surfaces with a Vickers microhardness greater than 800 kgf/mm². Increased adhesion of MoS₂ for bond layers with lower elastic moduli (estimated) is suggested. Therefore the ratio hardness/elastic modulus may be a potential figure of merit for surface pretreatment selection.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Corrosive Wear and Mechanical Properties of Ni/Al2O3 Micro- and Nanoparticulates-Reinforced Coatings on Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Nanocomposite coatings can endow a plated surface with various properties such as wear resistance, high-temperature corrosion protection, oxidation resistance, and self-lubrication. This work studies the corrosion and corrosive wear resistance of electroplated nickel nanocomposite coatings on Ti-6Al-4V alloy in a Hank's solution, adding various concentrations of an Al₂O₃ powder in plating solution, with particle diameters of 20–30 nm and 1 μm for comparisons. The experimental results showed that the content of Al₂O₃ incorporated into the electroplated nickel composite coating increased with the concentration of Al₂O₃ powder in the electroplating solution, and increasing the surface hardness, corrosion, and corrosive wear resistance of electroplated nickel micro- and nanocomposite coatings caused smearing of the nodule boundary and elimination of voids in the deposits. The Al₂O₃ nanoparticulates were embedded and distributed more uniformly than the Al₂O₃ microparticulates in the nickel matrix after a heat treatment of 400°C, producing a more continuous and dense coated composite layer on the Ti-6Al-4V substrate. This phenomenon is responsible for the Ni/Al₂O₃ composite coating with superior surface hardness, providing high corrosion resistance and corrosive wear protection to the Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate in Hank's solution.     

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.     

A comparative evaluation of the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene abraded by Ti-6Al-4V

The study was initiated to assess the suitability of Ti-6Al-4V as a metal which articulates against Ultra High Molecular Weight (UHMW) polyethylene in total joint applications. The wear surfaces of Ti alloy were prepared to different levels of surface roughness and the effect of various surface chemical treatments were examined. A specially designed annular contact laboratory wear tester was developed to provide the surface loading and articulation. Comparative tests were also performed using 316 LVM stainless steel and Co-Cr-Mo alloy metallic wear components. All annular contact wear tests were performed in mammalian Ringer's solution environments and were evaluated using standard statistical techniques. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the wear surfaces indicates the formation of a polyethylene transfer film on all metal surfaces. The surface of the UHMW polyethylene samples after testing was considerably rougher than the original articulating metallic surface; the transfer film on the metal surfaces was responsible for this. It was concluded that Ti-6Al-4V is satisfactory for total joint replacement when used in combination with UHMW polyethylene. Proper surface preparation may allow lower rates of wear than conventional orthopaedic alloys.     

Fretting wear behavior of nitrogen ion implanted titanium alloys in bovine serum lubrication

Nitrogen ion implantation was performed on biomedical titanium alloys by using of the PBII technology to improve the surface mechanical properties for the application of artificial joints. The titanium nitride phase was characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanohardness of the titanium alloys and implanted samples were measured by using of in-situ nano-mechanical testing system (TriboIndenter). Then, the fretting wear of nitrogen ion implanted titanium alloys was done on the universal multifunctional tester (UMT) with ball-on-flat fretting style in bovine serum lubrication. The fretting wear mechanism was investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D surface profiler. The XPS analysis results indicate that nitrogen diffuses into the titanium alloy and forms a hard TiN layer on the Ti6Al4V alloys. The nanohardness increases from 6.40 to 7.7 GPa at the normal load of 2 mN, which reveals that nitrogen ion implantation is an effective way to enhance the surface hardness of Ti6Al4V. The coefficients of friction for Ti6Al4V alloy in bovine serum are obviously lower than that in dry friction, but the coefficients of friction for nitrogen ion implanted Ti6Al4V alloy in bovine serum are higher than that in dry friction. Fatigue wear controls the fretting failure mechanism of nitrogen ion implanted Ti6Al4V alloy fretting in bovine serum. The testing results in this paper prove that nitrogen ion implantation can effectively increase the fretting wear resistance for Ti6Al4V alloy in dry friction, and has a considerable improvement for Ti6Al4V alloy in bovine serum lubrication.     

Electric hot incremental forming of Ti-6Al-4V titanium sheet

Electric hot incremental forming of metal sheet is a new technique that is feasible and easy to control to form hard-to-form sheet metals. In the present study, Ti-6Al-4V titanium sheet was studied because it was wildly used in the aeronautics and astronautics industries. Although Ti-6Al-4V titanium can be well-formed in high temperature, the surface quality is a problem. In order to enhance the surface quality, it is very important to select the proper lubricant. At the same time, because Ti-6Al-4V titanium has a lively chemical property, it is very important to choose a processing temperature range in order to acquire excellent plastic property and to prevent oxidation. Various lubricants were selected in processing to compare the effect, and some workpieces were formed at different temperatures to find the best forming temperature. The results show that using the lubricant film of nickel matrix with MoS₂ self-lubricating material, Ti-6Al-4V titanium workpiece was formed with high surface quality, and the optimum thickness of composite coating is 20 μm for Ti-6Al-4V titanium sheet of 1.0-mm thickness. In fact, the lubricant film also does help to prevent oxidation of Ti-6Al-4V titanium sheet. The appropriate temperature range of Ti-6Al-4V forming with slightly oxidized is 500–600°C in processing, and the maximum draw angle formed in this range was 72°.     

A study of the improved wear performance of nitrogen-implanted Ti-6Al-4V

The unlubricated wear behaviour of nitrogen-implanted Ti-6Al-4V was studied using a pin-on-disc wear tester. It is shown that, under suitable conditions, nitrogen implantation may reduce the wear rate by over two orders of magnitude. Detailed investigations of the dose dependence of this improved wear performance were carried out. The friction and wear data show a clear breakthrough type of transition from the implanted to the unimplanted modes of wear. The time to breakthrough is seen to be directly dependent on the nitrogen ion dose. Metallographic examination of the wear tracks reveals that a thin layer of TiO in the wear track is associated with the low friction-low wear behaviour of the implanted material. The observed transition in the wear process is discussed in terms of the surface and subsurface modifications produced by nitrogen implantation.     

Friction and Wear Behavior of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Sliding Against GCr15 Steel and Electroless Ni–P Alloy Coating Under the Lubrication of Seawater

The friction and wear behavior of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) sliding against GCr15 steel and electroless Ni-P alloy coating under the lubrication of seawater was investigated and compared with that under dry sliding and lubrication of pure water and 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, respectively. It was found that under the lubrication of aqueous medium, the friction and wear behavior of UHMWPE mainly depended on the corrosion of counterface and the lubricating effect of the medium. Because of serious corrosion of counterface by the medium, the wear rates of UHMWPE sliding against GCr15 under the lubrication of seawater and NaCl solution were much larger than that under other conditions, and such a kind of wear closely related to the corrosion of counterface can be reckoned as indirect corrosive wear. However, when sliding against corrosion-resistant Ni–P alloy under the lubrication of seawater, the lowest coefficient of friction and wear rate of UHMWPE were obtained, owing to superior lubricating effect of seawater. Moreover, periodic ripple patterns were observed on the worn surfaces of UHMWPE sliding against GCr15 under the lubrication of seawater and NaCl solution, which were ascribed to the intelligent reconstruction of surface microstructure of UHMWPE upon large plowing effect of the counterface asperities. Based on scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and three-dimensional (3D) profile analyses of the worn surfaces of UHMWPE, a stick–slip dynamic mechanism was proposed to illustrate the pattern abrasion of UHMWPE. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Fretting wear of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb

An investigation was conducted to examine the wear behavior of gamma titanium aluminide (Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb in atomic percent) in contact with a typical nickel-base superalloy under repeated microscopic vibratory motion in air at temperatures from 296–823 K. The surface damage observed on the interacting surfaces of both Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb and superalloy consisted of fracture pits, oxides, metallic debris, scratches, craters, plastic deformation, and cracks. The Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb transferred to the superalloy at all fretting conditions and caused scuffing or galling. The increasing rate of oxidation at elevated temperatures led to a drop in Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear at 473 K. Mild oxidative wear was observed at 473 K. However, fretting wear increased as the temperature was increased from 473–823 K. At 723 and 823 K, oxide disruption generated cracks, loose wear debris, and pits on the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear surface. Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear generally decreased with increasing fretting frequency. Both increasing slip amplitude and increasing load tended to produce more metallic wear debris, causing severe abrasive wear in the contacting metals.     

Comparative study of different dielectrics for micro-EDM performance during microhole machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

In microelectrodischarge machining (micro-EDM), dielectric plays an important role during machining operation. The machining characteristics are greatly influenced by the nature of dielectric used during micro-EDM machining. Present paper addresses the issues of micro-EDM utilizing different types of dielectrics such as kerosene, deionized water, boron carbide (B₄C) powder suspended kerosene, and deionized water to explore the influence of these dielectrics on the performance criteria such as material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), overcut, diameteral variance at entry and exit hole and surface integrity during machining of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). The experimental results revealed that MRR and TWR are higher using deionized water than kerosene. Also, when suspended particles, i.e., boron carbide-mixed dielectrics are used, MRR is found to increase with deionized water, but TWR decreases with kerosene dielectric. Further analysis is carried out with the help of scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs, and it is found that the thickness of white layer is less on machined surface when deionized water is used as compared to kerosene. Also, a comparative study of machining time has been carried out for the four types of dielectrics at different machining parametric settings. Furthermore, the investigation on the machined surface integrity and wear on microtool tip have also been done in each type of the dielectrics with the help of SEM micrographs and optical photographs. Hence micro-EDM machining on Ti-6Al-4V work material with B₄C-mixed dielectrics is performed in the investigation and reported the performance criteria of the process. It can be concluded from the research investigation that there is a great influence of mixing of boron carbide additive in deionized water dielectrics for enhancing machining performance characteristics in micro-EDM during microhole generation on Ti-6Al-4V alloy.     

Experimental investigations on effects of tool flank wear on surface integrity during orthogonal dry cutting of Ti-6Al-4V

Machining titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V is a challenging task since tool flank wear adversely affects surface integrity. Quantitative effects of predetermined tool flank wear values (VB) on the surface integrity were investigated through the orthogonal dry cutting of Ti-6Al-4V. Experimental results indicated that three-dimensional (3D) average surface roughness increased with the VB ranging from 0 to 0.2 mm but decreased at VB = 0.3 mm. Given the effects of rubbing and ironing enhanced, surface material burning and plastic flows emerged on the machined surface at VB = 0.3 mm. Not only the plastic deformation layer became deeper but also the grains were greatly distorted with the increase of tool flank wear. When machined by using the tool at VB = 0.3 mm, the β phase of Ti-6Al-4V decreased near the machined surface layer than that of using the fresh tool. Besides, the depth of work-harden layer increased from 20 to 60 μm with the VB increasing from 0 to 0.3 mm. The softened layer was generated near the machined surface by using the tool at VB = 0.3 mm. In addition, the residual compressive stresses of the machined surface had the trend of decreasing. Experimental results indicated that the VB less than 0.2 mm was the most suitable condition for better surface integrity during orthogonal dry cutting of Ti-6Al-4V. This study aims at providing experimental data for optimizing the processing parameters and improving the surface integrity of Ti-6Al-4V.     

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.     

试验参数对人工滑液边界润滑条件下超高分子量聚乙烯/Ti6Al4V往复摩擦磨损行为的影响

采用自行研制的往复摩擦磨损试验机,在法向载荷50 N、往复频率1 Hz、摩擦副接触形式为圆环外圆周/平面、初始线接触长度为6 mm、相对湿度为80%的试验条件下,研究了钛合金表面粗糙度、试验环境温度、试验延续时间、滑液成分等试验参数对UHMWPE/Ti6A14V摩擦副的往复摩擦磨损行为的影响.结果表明,这些试验参数均显著影响UHMWPE/Ti6A14V摩擦副的往复摩擦磨损行为;在环境温度20℃、25%小牛血清去离子水溶液边界润滑、180 min往复摩擦磨损试验条件下,当钛合金表面粗糙度由Ra0.04 μm增加至Ra0.06μm时,摩擦副的平均摩擦因数由0.033增加至0.096,UHMWPE试样磨损量由0.131 mm3,增加至0.149 mm3;在钛合金表面粗糙度为Ra0.06μm、25%小牛血清去离子水溶液边界润滑、180 min往复摩擦磨损试验条件下,当试验环境温度由10℃上升至37℃时,摩擦副的平均摩擦因数由0.135减少至0.077,UHMWPE试样磨损量由0.188 mm3减少至0.134 mm3.