Friction and wear behaviors of Mo–N modified Ti6Al4V alloy in Hanks' solution

A Mo–N surface modified layer on Ti6Al4V alloy was obtained by the double glow plasma surface alloying technique. The structure and composition of the Mo–N modified Ti6Al4V alloy were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The surface-modified layer contains a Mo–N coating in the subsurface and a diffusion layer between the subsurface and substrate. The X‐ray diffraction analysis reveals that the outmost surface of the Mo–N modified Ti6Al4V alloy is composed of Mo2N. The friction and wear behaviors of the Mo–N modified Ti6Al4V alloy sliding against corundum balls in Hanks' solution were investigated and compared with that of Ti6Al4V alloy. The results show that the Mo–N modified Ti6Al4V alloy has better friction reduction and higher wear resistance properties than that of untreated Ti6Al4V.

► A Mo–N modified layer on Ti6Al4V base was obtained by the plasma surface technique.
► The Mo–N modified layer is mainly composed of Mo2N phase.
► The Mo–N modified layer can improve the wear resistance properties of Ti6Al4V base.
► The Mo–N modified layer can improve the antifriction properties of Ti6Al4V base.