Tribological characteristics of boronized niobium for biojoint applications

Boride coatings on corrosion-resistant refractory metals are potentially used as implanting materials. In this research, we investigated wear mechanisms of boride coatings on pure niobium using a pin-on-disk tribometer in two different conditions i.e. in dry and using a simulated body fluid (SBF). Surface morphology studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows the compressed boride layer with indistinguishable regions such as coating intermediate transition layer and the substrate. The surface analysis after wear tests was conducted using an atomic force microscope (AFM). It was found that, in dry condition, the boride coating underwent deformation wear, and debris formed and accumulated at both ends of the track due to adhesion. In presence of SBF, the coating shows different mode of failure. The tribo-chemical wear dominates the wear mode.