Wear maps for TiC composite based coatings deposited on 303 stainless steel

•Construction of wear maps for a composite based TiC coating.•Identification of wear regime classifications.•Analysis of role of oxidation in the wear mechanism.•Comparison between wear maps for 303 steel with different counterface materials.

Dry sliding wear (pin-on-disc) tests were carried out under ambient conditions at room temperature for TiC coated and uncoated 303 stainless steel, using alumina as a counterface. The composite coating which was developed by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) methods increased the surface hardness of the substrate and the sliding wear resistance of the substrate. Wear maps for both uncoated and coated materials were developed on the basis of tests results. These maps show that the mild wear regime for the composite coating extended to a higher range of sliding speeds and normal loads, than that for the uncoated steel. The differences in wear mechanisms as identified on the wear maps for both coated and uncoated steel are addressed in this paper.