Effect of vacuum annealing treatment on dry sliding wear behavior of TiC/Ti-1100-0.5Nb composite under different operating temperatures

Dry sliding wear tests at 25 degrees C and 500 degrees C were performed for TiC/Ti-1100-0.5Nb composites on the quenched and tempered GCr15 steel counter-face disks in this work. Meanwhile, the TiC/Ti-1100-0.5Nb composites were treated at the annealing temperature of 1050 degrees C, 1100 degrees C, 1150 degrees C, respectively. Results demonstrate that the TiC quantity and a-laths spacing increase with the increase of annealing temperature. The composites have better high temperature wear properties. The composites under 1100 degrees C vacuum annealing treatment possess the best wear performance, which benefited from the coordination of granular TiC particles dispersion strengthening and the solid solution strengthening of carbon atoms. The wear mechanism of the composite changes from the adhesive and abrasive wears at room temperature to oxidative mild wear at 500 degrees C. The formation of nano Fe2O3 and TiO2 oxide particles on worn surface plays a protective role during the wear process, which improved the high temperature wear properties.