Experimental Investigation of Surface Morpology and Wear Behaviour on Heat Treated TIN PVD Coated A36 Mild Steel

Abstract

Abstract This experimental research study aimed to investigate the surface properties, wear resistance, and hardness behaviour of A36 mild steel in different conditions. In particular, the study focused on comparing the characteristics of A36 mild steel, normalised heat treated TiN PVD coated A36 mild steel, annealing heat treated TiN PVD coated A36 mild steel, and quenching heat treated TiN PVD coated A36 mild steel. The SEM analysis was performed to evaluate the surface morphology of each type of mild steel, and different topographies were observed in each category. The SEM micrographs revealed that the normalised, annealed and quenched TiN PVD coated A36 mild steels showed a homogeneous surface morphology with fewer cracks and voids compared with the A36 mild steel. Moreover, these TiN PVD coated A36 mild steel specimens showed less pin and disc wear as compared to the A36 mild steel specimen. Thus, it can be inferred that TiN PVD coating can minimize wear rate in the mentioned types of steel. The Vicker hardness test was conducted to examine the hardness behaviour of the mild steel specimens. The results showed that the normalised, annealed, and quenched TiN PVD coated A36 mild steels had a higher Vicker hardness value than A36 mild steel without coating. The maximum hardness was observed in the quenched TiN PVD Coated A36 Mild Steel specimens. Hence, TiN PVD coating enhances the hardness of the mild steel. In conclusion, the experimental investigation shows that TiN PVD coating and heat treatment can significantly enhance the surface morphology, wear resistance, and hardness behaviour of A36 mild steel. The investigated specimens of normalised, annealed, and quenched TiN PVD coated A36 mild steel, show better results than the conventional mild steel in terms of surface morphology, wear resistance and hardness behaviour.