Improving the Wear Resistance of Ti-5Zr-3Sn-5Mo-15Nb by Plasma Mo Surface Alloying

A Mo surface-modified layer onto Ti-5Zr-3Sn-5Mo-15Nb (TLM) substrate was prepared by a plasma surface alloying technique. The microstructure, component distribution and micro-hardness of the Mo modified layer were analyzed. Contact angles with deionized water were measured, and wear behavior of the samples against corundum ball in simulated human body fluids was investigated. Results indicate that a uniform Mo surface-modified layer of about 12 µm in thickness is obtained, which is mainly composed of Mo phase. The surface hardness of Mo alloyed TLM increases significantly compared with that of untreated TLM, and the contact angle is lowered due to the generation of Mo layer and the increase of surface roughness, enhancing the surface wettability. More importantly, compared to the as-received TLM alloy, the Mo modified alloy exhibits great improvement of wear resistance, about 50 times, with lower friction coefficient. © 2017, Science Press. All right reserved.