Description
Abstract: Ti and its alloys have gained extensive applications in aerospace, marine and biomedical fields, owing to their desired properties such as high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, and excellent biocompatibility. In some applications where Ti alloys are subjected to sliding motion, the friction and wear performance is of specific importance. In recent years, metal matrix nanocomposite reinforced with nano-ceramic particles has shown great potential in improving material strength, and reducing wear and fiction. In this study, Ti/SiC nanocomposite layer was produced on Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) substrate by laser melting. The as-fabricated nanocomposite coating exhibited a maximum surface hardness of ~700HV, which is twice as high as that of the commercial Ti64. Microstructure characterization was carried out with focus on grain size, elemental distribution and phase constituents. Moreover, the dry scratch tests showed that the wear and coefficient of friction were both significantly reduced by producing nanocomposite coating on Ti64 substrate.
Authors: Xing Zhang, Bo Mao, Rebecca Histed, Mohamed Trabia, Brendan O’Toole, Richard Jennings, Pouya Shojaei, and Yiliang Liao
Keywords: Metal matrix nanocomposites; Selective Laser melting; Ti6Al4V