Surface tribological and electrochemical properties of TiAlSiN coating in seawater

To investigate the effects of friction surface and electrochemical properties on the tribological behavior of TiAlSiN coatings in seawater, the tribological properties of TiAlSiN coatings in air and seawater are comparatively studied using a ball-on-disk tribometer with Si3N4 ceramic balls as the counter material. The results show that under both friction conditions, the wear rate of TiAlSiN coating is decreased compared with 316 l steel substrate, and the coating presents a good protective effect. When friction occurs in air, the abrasive debris in the wear area cannot be discharged in time, resulting in the accumulation of abrasive debris and accelerating the wear of the coating. When friction occurs in seawater, although seawater is corrosive, the lubricating barrier surface formed by the friction oxide during the friction process significantly reduces the wear rate of the coating. In addition, the excellent electrochemical properties and the dense coating microstructure improve the tribocorrosion resistance of the TiAlSiN coating in seawater. It proves that friction surface has a great impact on the tribological performance of TiAlSiN coatings, and how to form a more favorable friction layer in the tribochemical environment is worthy of further research in the field of marine equipment.