ANALYSIS OF THE TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Cu-aTiO2
COMPOSITE COATINGS APPLIED BY THE COLD SPRAY METHOD
The properties of copper have been known and used for a very long time, and research has also been carried out for a long time to expand the applications of this material. One of the methods increasing the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect of copper is modification by means of the TiO2 phase. The research was conducted in order to determine the impact of modification of copper coatings with TiO2 titanium dioxide on their tribological properties. The paper presents the results of studies on tribological wear of composite coatings applied on steel using the method of low-pressure cold gas spraying (LPCS). The tests of resistance to abrasive wear were carried out in a ball-disc combination in reciprocating motion. The analysis of the resistance to abrasive wear of the tested coatings included the determination of the impact of the pressure force on the intensity of wear and the kinetic friction coefficient of the tested friction pairs. It was found that the samples covered only with copper coatings were characterized by a higher value of friction coefficient in relation to the substrate made of AISI 316l steel. The modification of copper with the submicron particles TiO2 fraction does not increase the value of friction coefficient. The value of this parameter is maintained at a similar level regardless of the applied counterspecimen.