Effect of the incorporation of carbon in the structure of TiO2 anodized with HCl on the mechanical and tribological properties

Abstract

With the use of the sputtering technique, carbon incorporation was carried out on TiO 2 anodized with HCl. FE-SEM study revealed the formation of tubes and/or fibers nanostructures on the surface of the acquired samples. It was possible to identify the presence of carbon by vibrational modes and EDS analysis. The nanoindentation test demonstrated how the carbonincorporated TiO 2 samples improved the nanohardness and elastic modulus compared to titanium and TiO 2 anodized. The presence of carbon was able to reinforce the bond of the TiO 2 layer with the substrate, which improved adhesion and abrasive behavior, and in turn, reduced the friction coefficient up to 89% compared to titanium.