Microstructure and Wear Resistance of the Composite Coatings Fabricated on Titanium Alloys by Laser Cladding
In situ reaction synthesized TiB reinforced titanium matrix composites were fabricated using rapid non-equilibrium synthesis techniques of laser cladding. TiB/Ti composite coating was treated on Ti-6Al-4V surface using Ti and B powder mixture by laser cladding. Microstructure and dry sliding wear behavior of the in situ synthesized TiB/Ti composite coatings were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), hardness tester and friction and wear tester. The composite coatings consist of Ti, TiB and intermetallic compounds. The TiB reinforcement dispersed homogeneously in the composite coatings. The wear tests show that the friction coefficient and wear weight loss ratio of the coatings is lower than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The composite coating was reinforced by the in situ synthesized TiB ceramic particles. Based on the SEM observation, effects of scan speed on hardness and wear resistance of the laser cladding coatings were investigated and discussed.