Combining laser texturing and remelting for reducing friction and corrosive wear in Ti-based amorphous alloys

Abstract

Ti-based amorphous alloys are known for their high strength, hardness, and excellent corrosion resistance, but generally limited tribological performance. To reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and mitigate corrosive wear, laser surface texturing and remelting were applied. Three distinct groove textures were fabricated: an asymmetric double-depth groove (AG), a remelting-formed dense low-depth groove (DLDG), and a combination of both textures (DLDG + AG). The tribocorrosion behavior were evaluated using reciprocating sliding tests against a Si₃N₄ ball in a 3.5 % NaCl solution. The AG sample demonstrated a 21.5 % reduction in COF and a 27.4 % reduction in wear rate. Due to remelting-induced oxidation and partial crystallization, the DLDG sample increased the COF but significantly enhanced wear resistance, improving it by approximately 40.6 times. Furthermore, the DLDG + AG sample effectively combined the advantages of laser texturing and remelting, reducing the COF by 26.9 % and enhancing wear resistance by 15.5 times. Regarding the corrosion without sliding, the DLDG sample exhibited the best corrosion resistance, while the AG sample showed deteriorated corrosion resistance. However, the DLDG + AG sample demonstrated the best corrosion resistance under sliding conditions with about 96.6 % reduction in corrosion current density. In conclusion, the combination of laser surface texturing and remelting offers a promising strategy to improve the tribocorrosion performance of Ti-based amorphous alloys by simultaneously reducing COF, enhancing wear resistance, and improving corrosion resistance.