Wear and corrosion resistance of Al₂O₃ and TiC deposition on steel substrate using self- propagating high temperature synthesis method

Abstract

In the present work, a low-carbon steel substrate was coated with Al2O3 and TiC using self-propagating high temperature synthesis. The synthesized coatings were annealed at 450oC for 2-6 hrs. The characteristics of the substrate, coated, and annealed samples were examined, including microhardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. A pin-on-disc tribometer was employed to conduct the wear test by varying the load, sliding velocity, and distance. The impact of these factors on the wear rate and worn surface morphology was then examined. Further, corrosion resistance was evaluated using electrochemical corrosion testing with 3.5 wt.% NaCl as electrolyte. Results showed that Al2O3 and TiC specimens annealed at 450oC for 5 hrs and 4 hrs improved the microhardness by 1.3 and 1.06 times than that of as-coated specimens respectively. The synthesized Al2O3 and TiC coatings showed an abrasive wear mechanism at higher loads and tribolayer formation was observed at higher sliding velocity and distances. The corrosion and wear resistances of the samples were found as follows: substrate< Al2O3 coated < TiC coated < Al2O3 annealed < TiC annealed. The Al2O3 and TiC ceramic coatings were found to improve wear and corrosion resistance having potential applications in cement, petrochemical, and marine industries.