Wear Behaviour of Conventional and Nanostructured Thin Films of Titanium Aluminium Nitride

Abstract

Abstract Titanium aluminium based nitride (Ti, Al)N coatings possess excellent tribological behaviour with respect to metal cutting and polymer forming contacts. In the present work TiAlN coatings were deposited by plasma spray process. Three coatings of TiAlN were deposited on AISI-347 grade boiler steel substrate out of which two were thin nano coatings deposited at different temperatures of 500°C and 200°C and one conventional coating was deposited by plasma spraying. The as sprayed coatings were characterized with relative to coating thickness, microhardness, porosity and microstructure. The optical microscopy (OM), the XRD analysis and field mission scanning electron microscope (FESEM with EDAX attachment) techniques have been used to identify various phases formed after coating deposited on the surface of the substrate. Subsequently the sliding wear behaviour of uncoated, PVD sprayed nanostructured thin TiAlN coatings deposited at 500°C and 200°C and plasma sprayed conventional coated AISI-347 grade boiler steel were investigated according to ASTM standard G99-03 using pin on disk wear test rig. Cumulative wear volume loss and coefficient of friction, μ were calculated for the coated as well as uncoated specimens for 10, 15 and 20 N normal loads at a constant sliding velocity of 1 m/sec. The worn out samples were analysed with SEM/EDAX. Wear rates in terms of volumetric loss (mm³/g) for uncoated and coated alloys were compared. The nanostructured TiAlN coatings deposited at 500°C and 200°C has shown minimum wear rate as compared to conventional TiAlN coating and uncoated AISI-347 grade boiler steel. Nanostructured TiAlN coatings were found to be successful in retaining surface contact with the substrate after the wear tests.