Improving wear resistance of Ti6Al6V2Sn alloy by reinforcing AlBeSiTiV high-entropy alloy through microwave sintering

Abstract

The present study examines the wear performance of microwave-sintered Ti6Al6V2Sn (Ti662) alloy reinforced with 15 wt% AlBeSiTiV High-Entropy Alloy (HEA). The AlBeSiTiV HEA is synthesized by ball milling at 250 rpm for 20 h, resulting in irregular fragments with a mean size of 15 µm and an FCC phase structure. The α-Ti grains decreased with increment of β -Ti grains upon adding HEA reinforcement with the Ti662 alloy. The Ti662/HEA composite exhibited 762 HV microhardness mainly due to refined grains through uniform dissipation in the sintering. The grains sized 0.597 µm on average. The pin-on-disc tribometer is employed to evaluate the wear rate of Ti662/HEA composite under varied process parameters such as applied load, sliding velocity, and sliding distance resulted in enhanced wear resistance through grain refinement, hindering effect, and superior interfacial bonding properties of reinforced HEA particles. Morphological analysis of the worn surfaces reveals wear mechanisms, including delamination, grooves, and the formation of oxide layers. These layers are developed due to the reinforcement of HEA with Ti662 alloy, serving as a protective film over the composite surface against wear.