Micro-abrasion wear testing of triode plasma diffusion and duplex treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy

► Triode plasma oxynitriding diffusion processes are capable of reducing the specific wear rate of titanium alloys under micro-abrasion wear testing. ► PVD CrAlN offers a superior resistance to three-body abrasion compared to PVD TiN and CVD/PVD WC/C. ► Perforating micro-abrasion tests performed using low normal loads, high particle solid content and coarse SiC particles, together with the subsequent three-dimensional modelling of the wear scar produced (for crater volume measurement) are preferable for the investigation of surface engineered Ti alloys.