Friction and Wear Properties of the Siliconized, Chromized and Borochromized Steel Substrates

In this study, the friction and wear properties of the siliconized, chromized and borochromized SS 400 steel/Si3N4 tribopairs were investigated in ethyl alcohol at 298 K. The surface of the siliconized plate specimens mainly consisted of Fe3Si, while the surfaces of the chromized and borochromized steel plate specimens were mainly composed of Fe-Cr alloy and Cr2B phases, respectively. The borochromized specimens exhibited the highest microvickers hardness of all the plate specimens. Also, it was found that both the chromized and borochromized steel specimens exhibited friction coefficients as low as 0.2 in ethyl alcohol, and that the friction coefficients of the siliconized steel specimens were slightly lower than those of the non-coated steel specimens.