TiN-Coating Effects on Stainless Steel Tribological Behavior Under Dry and Lubricated Conditions

The tribological properties of magnetron sputtered titanium nitride coating on 316L steel, sliding against Si3N4 ceramic ball under dry friction and synthetic perspiration lubrication, were investigated. The morphology of the worn surface and the elemental composition of the wear debris were examined by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. TiN coatings and 316L stainless steel had better tribological properties under synthetic perspiration lubrication than under dry friction. Among the three tested materials (316L, 1.6 and 2.4 μm TiN coatings), 2.4 μm TiN coating exhibits the best wear resistance. The difference in wear damage of the three materials is essentially due to the wear mechanisms. For the TiN coating, the damage is attributed to abrasive wear under synthetic perspiration lubrication and the complex interactive mechanisms, including abrasive and adhesive wear, along with plastic deformation, under dry friction.