Improving the wear resistance of Ti–6Al–4V/TiC composites through thermal oxidation (TO)

This study employed thermal oxidation (TO) treatment as a way of improving the wear resistance of Ti–6Al–4V/10vol.% TiC composites (TMCs) – especially at high loading conditions. The study revealed the formation of a uniform oxide layer (2.6±0.35μm thick) supported by an oxygen diffused zone (31.2±11.6μm deep) on the composite's surface when thermal oxidation was carried out at 800°C for 20min. The dry sliding wear behaviour of the TO-treated and untreated TMCs was investigated using a ball-on-disk tribometer within a load range of 2–10N. According to the experimental results, different wear behaviours were identified for TMCs and TO-TMCs as a function of applied load. The TO-treatment significantly reduced the wear rates of TMCs, especially at high loading conditions, due to the presence of a hard oxide layer and diffused zone that not only enhanced the load-bearing capacity of the TMCs, but also hindered the abrasive effect of the TiC particles and the extensive plastic deformation of Ti matrix.