Effect of nitriding-sulfurizing composite treatment on the tribological behavior of titanium alloys

A composite layer was prepared on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by nitriding-sulfurizing composite treatment,and its microstructure and phase structure were examined by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）,respectively.The tribological performance was measured to investigate its dependence on the nitriding-sulfurizing composite treatment process.The results indicated that the composite layer was mainly comprised of Ti2N,TiN,and TiS2.It was found that the composite layer exhibited superior tribological properties under dry friction and absolute sliding conditions due to the formation of sulfides with self-lubricating function.

Corrosion behavior and surface treatment of superlight Mg-Li alloys

Mg-Li alloy,as a superlight metallic engineering material,shows great potential in the fields of aerospace and militarydue to its high specific strength,better formability,and excellent electromagnetic shielding performance.The research process ofMg-Li alloys is reviewed and three main problems are pointed out.Aimed at the poor corrosion resistance of Mg-Li alloys,thecorrosion behavior is mainly summarized.The surface treatment technologies,including electroplating,electroless plating,plasmaspraying,molten salt replacement,conversion coating,anodizing,micro-arc oxidation,organic coating,and organic-inorganic hybridcoating,are introduced in detail.Finally,the future development of corrosion and protection of Mg?Li alloys is discussed.

Plasma Niobium Surface Alloying of Pure Titanium and its Oxidation at 900 ℃

A niobium-modified layer on pure titanium surface was obtained by means of double glow plasma surface alloying technique. The modified layer was uniform, continuous, compact and well adhered to the substrate. The niobium composition in the modified layer decreased gradually from the surface to the substrate. The oxidation behavior of the niobium-modified layer was investigated and com- pared with the untreated surface at 900 ~C for 100 h. Characterization of the layers was performed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The test results show that the oxidation behavior of pure titanium was improved by niobium alloying process. Niobium has a positive influence on the oxidation resistance.

Effect of novel surface treatment on corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of a titanium alloy

A new surface treatment process is presented that improves the properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.This process is based on thermal oxidation,in which the surface properties of the titanium alloy are improved via simultaneous nitriding and oxidation.The test results indicate that the resulting surface layer consists of TiO 2 and TiN.The sample with the best mechanical properties and corrosion resistance was sintered at a temperature of 800℃.

A New Aging Treatment Way for Near α High Temperature Titanium Alloys

Two near α titanium alloys, Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2.0Zr-1Mo-0.35Si （1#） and Ti-6.0AI-4.8Sn-2.0Zr-1Mo-0.35Si （2#）, were solution-treated in the upper α＋β phase fields, and the duplex mixture microstructures consisting of the less volume fraction primary α phase （αp） and the transformed β phase （βt） were obtained. The aging treatments were carried out at 700℃ for 1# alloy and 760℃ for 2# alloy under varied terms, respectively. It guaranteed α2 ordered phase to precipitate only in αp but not in βt for the two alloys. The slower precipitation and growth of the α2 ordered phase and silicide was observed in 1# alloy in comparison with 2# alloy. The mechanical properties including tensile strength and ductility, the creep and lasting properties at 600℃ were investigated. Prolonging aging time did not predominantly change the tensile strength and ductility for the two alloys. The 600℃/100 h thermal exposure caused a notable decrease of tensile ductility in 2# alloy though no distinct decrease could be observed in 1# alloy after the thermal exposure. The lasting property of i# alloy was increased with prolonging aging time and finally was equal to or even better than that of 2# alloy. Nevertheless, no evident increase emerged in 2# alloy with prolonging aging time. Similarly, the creep property of 1# alloy monotonously increased with increasing aging time and finally was equal to or even better than that of 2# alloy. No evident increase could be observed for 2# alloy. It can be deduced that the overgrowth of α2 ordered phase and silicide is unable to enhance hot strength properties but cause an unacceptable damage to tensile ductility. The optimum equilibrium of the comprehensive properties depending on the proper control of α2 ordered phase and silicide can be achieved by properly selecting aging temperature and time.

DOUBLE GLOW PLASMA SURFACE ALLOYING OF Ti6A14V AND TiAl

In order to improve the wear resistance of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V and high temperature oxidation resistance of intermetallic compound TiAl, the Double Glow Plasma Surface Alloying Technique (DG technique) was applied to modify the surface properties of these materials. Mo, Nb, Cr, Ni were diffused into the substrate materials to form alloyed layers with different properties. This paper shows the microstructure, microhardnesses, distributions of the alloy elements on the alloyed layers. Wear and high temperature oxidation tests were carried out. Test results indicate that the wear resistance of Ti6Al4V and the high temperature oxidation resistance of TiAl were improved significantly.

Plasma surface alloying of titanium alloy for enhancing burn-resistant property

Conventional titanium alloy may be ignited and burnt under high temperature, high pressure and high gas flow velocity condition. In order to avoid this problem,burn-resistant alloying layers were made on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6.5Al-0.3Mo-1.5Zr-0.25Si titanium alloys by using double glow plasma surface alloying technology (DG Technology). Two typical burn-resistant layers Ti-Cr and Ti-Mo were made by DG plasma chromizing and DG plasma molybdenizing, respectively. Burn-resistant properties were tested by layer ignition method using 2 kW laser machine. Ignition experiments result reveals that the ignition temperature of alloyed layer with Mo and Cr concentration above 10% is about 200℃higher than ignition temperature of Ti-6Al-4V substrate.

Effect of Carburization on the Mechanical Properties of Biomedical Grade Titanium Alloys

Titanium cermets were successfully synthesized on the surface of biomedical grade titanium alloys by using sequential carburization method. The mechanical properties such as hardness, fracture toughness and plasticity were measured to estimate the potential application of titanium cermets. The results show that after carburization the surface hardness of titanium cermets was 778 HV, with a significant improvement of 128% compared with that of titanium alloys. In addition, the fracture toughness of titanium cermets was 21.5 × 10^6 Pa.m^1/2, much higher than that of other ceramics. Furthermore, the analysis of the loading-unloading curve in the nanoindentation test also indicates that the plasticity of titanium cermet reached 32.1%, a relatively high value which illustrates the combination of the metal and ceramics properties. The results suggest that sequential carburization should be an efficient way to produce titanium cermets with hard surface, high toughness and plasticity.

Effect of surface treatment on the structure and high-rate dischargeability properties of AB_5-type hydrogen storage alloy

Surface-treated MmNi3.55Co0.75Mn0.4Al0.3 alloy as negative electrode material of nickel-metal hydride battery was employed to improve the high-rate dischargeability. Surface treatment was realized by dipping and stirring the alloy into a HCl aqueous solution with various concentrations at room temperature. The microstructure of the alloy before and after surface treatment was analyzed by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The electrochemical properties before and after surface treatment were compared, and the alloy treated in 0.025 mol/L HCl solution showed the optimal high-rate dischargeability.

Microstructural characterization of Inconel 718 alloy after pulsed laser surface treatment at different powers

An annealed Inconel 718 alloy was surface-treated by pulsed laser at three different powers（100, 50 and 25 W）. Microstructural changes induced by the laser treatments were characterized by use of electron backscatter diffraction and electron channeling contrast imaging techniques. Results show that both annealing twins and strengthening precipitates profusely existing in the as-received specimen are dissolved at elevated temperatures during the laser irradiation. Meanwhile, in the melting zone（MZ）, densities of low angle boundaries（LABs） are greatly increased with a large number of Laves phases preferentially distributed along such LABs. For different specimens, widths and depths of their MZs are found to be gradually reduced with decreasing the laser powers. Orientation analyses reveal that the columnar grains in the MZ of the 100 W specimen could inherit orientations existing in the matrix while lower laser powers promote the formation of more nuclei with scattered orientations to grow to be granular grains in the MZ. Hardness tests reveal that the MZs of all laser-treated specimens are softer than the matrix probably due to both precipitate dissolution and grain coarsening.

Microstructure and high-temperature wear properties of in situ TiC composite coatings by plasma transferred arc surface alloying on gray cast iron

In this work, an in situ synthesized TiC-reinforced metal matrix composite （MMC） coating of approximately 350-400μm thickness was fabricated on a gray cast iron （GCI） substrate by plasma transferred arc （PTA） surface alloying of Ti-Fe alloy powder. Microhard- ness tests showed that the surface hardness increased approximately four-fold after the alloying treatment. The microstructure of the MMC coating was mainly composed of residual austenite, acicular martensite, and eutectic ledeburite. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction analyzes revealed that the in situ TiC particles, which were formed by direct reaction of Ti with carbon originally contained in the GCI, was uniformly distributed at the boundary of residual anstenite in the alloying zone. Pin-on-disc high-temperature wear tests were performed on samples both with and without the MMC coating at room temperature and at elevated temperatures （473 K and 623 K）, and the wear behavior and mechanism were investigated. The results showed that, after the PTA alloying treatment, the wear resistance of the sam- ples improved significantly. On the basis of our analysis of the composite coatings by optical microscopy, SEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements, we attributed this improvement of wear resistance to the transformation of the microstruc- ture and to the presence of TiC particles.

Effects of C,N-Codoped on the Corrosion Resistance of TiO_2 Films Prepared by Plasma Surface Alloying and Thermal Oxidation Duplex Process

C,N-codoped TiO 2 films have been deposited onto stainless steel substrates using plasma surface alloying and thermal oxidation duplex process.Composition analysis shows that the films shield the substrates entirely.The TiO 2 films are anatase in structure as characterized by X-ray diffraction.The electrochemical measurements show that the equilibrium corrosion potential positively shifts from-0.275 eV for bare stainless steel to-0.267 eV for C,N-codoped TiO 2 coated stainless steel,and the corrosion current density decreases from 1.3×10-5 A/cm2 to 4.1×10-6 A/cm2.The corrosion resistance obtained by electrochemistry noise also reveals that the C,N-codoped TiO 2 films provide good protection for stainless steel against corrosion in stimulated body fluid.The above results indicate that C,N-codoped TiO 2 films deposited by plasma surface alloying and thermal oxidation duplex process are effective in protecting stainless steel from corrosion.

Study on composite surface treatment of 38CrMoAl steel

In this paper, a new composite surface treatment technology of electric brush plating Ni W alloy and nitrocarburizing composite process of 38CrMoAl steel has been studied .The properties, microstructure and phase composition of the surface layer of 38CrMoAl steel are examined by optical microscopy , scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X ray diffraction . The experiment on the wear resistance of surface layer is carried out . The effect of the thickness of electric brush plating of Ni W alloy and the holding time of nitrocarburizing on the properties and the microstructure of surface layer are studied .The results show that good metallurgical bonding is transformed from mechanical bonding in electric brush plating deposits with 38CrMoAl steel; the components of surface deposit microstructure are Ni base phase with less disperse WC,WN particles . The wear resistance of surface layer of 38CrMoAl steel treated by the composite process has increased 8 times compared with that by nitrocarburizing .The optimum electric brush plating thickness is 20 μm , and the optimum holding time of nitrocarburizing is 80 min at 540 ℃ .

Quick Surface Treatment of AZ31B by AC Micro-arc Oxidation

In order to explore an effective way to shorten treatment time and enhance the quality of treatment coating, AC micro-arc oxidation was conducted to treat the surface of AZ31 B deformation magnesium alloy in KF＋KOH treatment solution. The infl uences of micro-arc oxidation parameters such as concentration of KF, concentration of KOH, output voltage of booster, temperature of treatment solution, and treatment time on treatment coating thickness were raveled out under different conditions. The structure and composition of treatment coating were determined, the growth mechanism of treatment coating was discussed, and the quick surface treatment technology for compact treatment coating with maximum thickness was developed. The experimental results show that： A maximum 33 μm-thick compact treatment coating, consisting of MgF2 and MgO mainly, can be formed on AZ31 B in 112 s under the conditions of 1 132 g/L KF, 382 g/L KOH, 66 V for output voltage of booster and 34 ℃ of treatment solution which were optimized by a genetic algorithm from the model established by artifi cial neural networks. There are no ＂crater-shaped＂ pores in this treatment coating as the heat shock resulting from the smooth variation of AC sinusoidal voltage is far smaller than that of the rigidly varied DC or pulse current. The treatment time is only one sixth of that adopted in the other surface treatment technology at best, principally for the reason that the coating can always grow irrespective of the electric potential of AZ31 B. This investigation lays a fi rm foundation for the extensive application of magnesium alloy.

Dissolution Characteristics of New Titanium Alloys in Electrochemical Machining

We focus on the electrochemical dissolution characteristics of new titanium alloys such as near-αtitanium alloy Ti60,α+βtitanium alloy TC4andβtitanium alloy Ti40 which are often used for aerospace industry.The experiments are carried out by electrochemical machining tool,and the surface morphology of the specimens is observed by the scanning electron microscope(SEM)and three-dimensional video microscope(DVM).The appropriate electrolyte is selected and the relationships between surface roughness and current density are achieved.The results show that the single-phase titanium alloy Ti40 has a better surface roughness after ECM compared with theα+βtitanium alloy TC4 and the near-αtitanium alloy Ti60.The best surface roughness is Ra 0.28μm when the current density is 75A/cm2.Furthermore,the surface roughness of the near-αtitanium alloy Ti60 is the most sensitive with the current density because of the different electrochemical equivalents of substitutional elements and larger grains than TC4.Finally,the suitable current density for each titanium alloy is achieved.

CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS IN SURFACE LAYER OF Ti ALLOY MELTS

The concentration distribution of alloying elements such as Al,Sn,V,Si and Mo in surface layer of quenched Ti alloy melts(TC4,TA 7 and TC9)has been determined by EPMA.Ti al- loy samples were melted and evaporized by electron beam in water cooled copper curcible.The activity coefficient of alloy elements in Ti alloy melts are:γ_(Al)=0.009—0.018 and γ_(Sn)=0.066 —0.123 at 1921—2106℃;γ_V=0.713 at 2021℃;γ_(Si)=0.020 and γ_(Mo)=0.913 at 1921℃.The rate controlling steps of the evaporation of alloying elements Al,Sn,V,Si and Mo from Ti al- loy melts have been discussed with the data of evaporation activation energies of such alloy el- ements.

Effect of alkali treatments on apatite formation of microarc-oxidized coating on titanium alloy surface

Alkali treatments with three concentrations were used to modify a microarc-oxidized(MAO) coating on titanium alloy surface in order to further improve its surface bioactivity. Morphology, chemical compositions and phase constitues, roughness, contact angle and apatite induction of the alkali-treated coatings were studied and compared. Scanning electron microscope(SEM) was applied to observe the morphologies, X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) were used to detect the phase constitutes and chemical compositions, a surface topography profilometer was used to analyze the surface roughness, and contact angle was measured by liquid drop method. Alkali treatements result in the formation of Na2Ti6O13 and Na2Ti3O7 phase on the MAO coating, which leads to the increase of surface roughness and the decrease of contact angle. Experimental results showed that the apatite induction of the alkali-treated coatings was dependent on the applied alkali concentrations during treatments, and Na+concentration can promote the formation of apatite phase.

Enhancement of mechanical and tribological performance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by laser surface alloying with Inconel 625 and SiC precursor materials

This study focused on producing metal matrix composite(MMC)coatings on Ti–6Al–4V alloy through laser surface alloying using a novel combination of Inconel 625 and SiC precursor materials.Various ratios of alloying powders were examined to evaluate surface properties such as microhardness,wear resistance,and friction coefficient,along with analyzing the phase composition and microstructure of the coatings.The in situ synthesized MMC coatings exhibited the presence ofα-Ti,NiTi,NiTi_(2),and TiC phases.Additionally,Ti_(5)Si_(3)andα-Ti/Ti_(5)Si_(3)eutectic structures were observed when the SiC content exceeded 20%.In comparison to the titanium substrate,the MMC coating significantly enhanced microhardness by over threefold and reduced wear by 95%.However,it was crucial to carefully select the appropriate combination of alloying powders to avoid a substantial decrease in friction performance and excessive formation of cracks.Through a comparative analysis of experimental results,the optimal precursor material composition was identified as 85%Inconel 625 and 15%SiC.This study demonstrated the effective utilization of Inconel 625 and SiC alloying materials to enhance the surface properties of titanium alloys,thereby expanding their application in challenging environments.

Fabrication of titanium-based alloys with bioactive surface oxide layer as biomedical implants:Opportunity and challenges

Titanium and its alloys have long been used as implant materials due to their outstanding mechanical properties and apparent biocompatibility.Despite this,the search for better alloys has continued to be active by researchers and industries alike,as there are still pressing issues that require attention.These include(1)a large mismatch in the elastic modulus of the implant material,which causes a stress shielding problem;(2)the release of harmful ions from Ti alloys after long-term use;(3)a low bioactivity of the Ti alloy surface,which prolongs the healing process.More research has been directed toward finding new generation Ti alloys composed of more biocompatible phases and modifying the surface of Ti alloys from naturally bio-inert to bioactive in order to circumvent the problems.This review examines recent work reported on the fabrication of Ti alloys,and based on the survey,major characteristics highlighted the importance of elastic modulus and the use of non-toxic metal elements to improve biocompatibility.In terms of surface modification of Ti alloys,numerous studies have found that a nano-scaled surface oxide layer grown on the surface is always beneficial to improving the bioactivity of Ti alloys for rapid recovery after implantation.This comprehensive review focuses on the appropriate phase and composition for new Ti alloys intended for use as biomedical implants,emphasizing both fabrication and surface modification methods.

Tribological Behaviors of Electroless Nickel-Boron Coating on Titanium Alloy Surface

Titanium alloys are excellent structural materials in engineering fields,but their poor tribological properties limit their further applications.Electroless plating is an effective method to enhance the tribological performance of alloys,but it is difficult to efficiently apply to titanium alloys,due to titanium alloy’s strong chemical activity.In this work,the electroless Nickel-Boron(Ni-B)coating was successfully deposited on the surface of titanium alloy(Ti-6AL-4V)via a new pre-treatment process.Then,linearly reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed to evaluate the tribological behaviors of titanium alloy and its electroless Ni-B coatings.It was found that the Ni-B coatings can decrease the wear rate of the titanium alloy from 19.89×10^(−3)mm^(3)to 0.41×10^(−3)mm^(3),which attributes to the much higher hardness of Ni-B coatings.After heat treatment,the hardness of Ni-B coating further increases corresponding to coating crystallization and hard phase formation.However,heat treatment does not improve the tribological performance of Ni-B coating,due to the fact that higher brittleness and more severe oxidative wear exacerbate the damage of heat-treated coatings.Furthermore,the Ni-B coatings heat-treated both in air and nitrogen almost present the same tribological performance.The finding of this work on electroless coating would further extend the practical applications of titanium alloys in the engineering fields.