Study of high velocity solid particle erosion behaviour of Ti2AlC MAX phase coatings

•We investigated the erosion behaviour of three different alloys.•Alloys with lower surface hardness show high erosion.•Intermetallics show a ceramic behaviour during erosion.•Cutting and ploughing were the dominant wear mechanisms observed.

This research work provides information about the influence of Ti2AlC MAX phase coatings on the erosion resistance of Ti6242 alloy. Flat specimens were coated with a 20 µm Ti2AlC film using an industrial size magnetron sputtering coater and annealed at 800 °C for 1 h in vacuum for the formation of the MAX phase. The erosion resistance of the specimens was tested using high-velocity particles at room temperature. The results indicate that the erosion resistance of Ti6242 has been significantly enhanced by the employment of MAX-phase coatings. This demonstrates the capability of using MAX phase coatings as erosion protective medium for engine components exposed to similar damage conditions. Additionally, the results show that uncoated Ti6242 samples with duplex microstructure have a better durability against erosion attack compared to uncoated samples with globular microstructure.