Investigation on the formation and wear resistance of TiC coatings

In this work, a new method, electro-thermal explosion directional spraying (EEDS), was utilized to produce the TiC coatings. The mechanism of the coating formation is studied by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive analysis X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The wear resistance of the coating was also discussed. Results show that the TiC coatings have compact structure, high microhardness and good bond, which indicate that the coatings have the characters of quick solidifying and metallurgical bonding. The coatings also process good wear resistance and the wear resistance of the coating is affected by the applied loads and the counterpart's hardness. The main wear failure mechanism is the pull-out of particles for fatigue.