Titanium alloy is an irreplaceable and important material in aerospace and other fields, but the lack of friction and wear properties limits its use in a wider range of working conditions. The traditional understanding and new research progress on the friction and wear properties of titanium alloys are introduced, and the research results on the wear mechanism and friction and wear properties of titanium alloys are reviewed. Three common surface treatment methods for improving the friction and wear properties of titanium alloys are summarized, namely, surface modification technology, surface alloying technology and surface plating technology. The existing problems in the wear research and performance improvement of titanium alloys are pointed out, and the research direction of improving the wear resistance of titanium alloys is also pointed out.
The main reasons for the poor friction and wear properties of titanium alloy are:
(1) the surface hardness and plastic shear resistance of titanium alloy are low;
(2) titanium alloy surface work hardening ability is poor;
(3) The grinding debris generated during the friction and wear of titanium alloy is easy to be broken and removed, and does not have a protective effect on the surface of the titanium alloy substrate.
With the continuous expansion of the application field of titanium alloy, there are more and more problems related to the friction and wear properties of titanium alloy. In order to improve the friction and wear properties of titanium alloy and further expand its application range, the research on the friction and wear mechanism of titanium alloy is the focus of future research.
The friction coefficient and wear rate of Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)-DT titanium alloy decrease with the increase of temperature, and the reason for the decrease of wear rate is that the oxide film is produced on the alloy surface due to the increase of temperature, which plays a protective role on the matrix. With the increase of temperature, the main wear mechanism of titanium alloy changes from adhesive wear and abrasive wear to peeling wear and oxidation wear. Yao Xiaofei et al. also found a similar rule when studying the friction and wear properties of Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) titanium alloy and GCr15 pairs, that is, the wear rate of Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) titanium alloy can be reduced by increasing temperature, and the wear mechanism also changes, showing the characteristics of oxidative wear at high temperature.
