Synergistic enhancement in wear resistance of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel by laser surface texturing and double glow plasma surface alloying using a Ni–Ti target with an atomic ratio of 1:2
摘要
A study was conducted to investigate the enhancement in wear resistance of AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) by combining laser surface texturing (LST) and double glow plasma surface alloying (DGPSA) with an atomic ratio of Ni:Ti = 1:2 target. Groove textures (width: 275 μm, spacing: 495 μm, density: 34%) were fabricated via LST, followed by Ni–Ti alloy layer deposition using optimized DGPSA parameters (temperature: 750 °C, time: 4 h, voltage: 300 V). The tribological performances of NiTi, textured NiTi, NiTi-coated ASS, ASS substrate, textured ASS, and duplex-treated ASS against GCr15 steel balls were assessed under reciprocating dry sliding conditions, with loads ranging from 5 and 10 N. Microstructural analysis revealed a dense NiTi-alloyed layer (~ 22 μm compound layer + ~ 4 μm diffusion layer) with gradient composition was metallurgically bonded to the substrate. The duplex-treated surface exhibited a threefold increase in hardness (226 HV0.1 to 670 HV0.1) and a 55-fold reduction in specific wear rate (1.20 × 10–4 vs. 2.10 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1), compared to those of the untreated ASS. Wear mechanisms transitioned from abrasive/adhesive/oxidative wear (untreated ASS) to predominantly oxidative wear (NiTi-coated/duplex-treated surfaces), with surface textures which mitigate debris-induced abrasion. The duplex treatment reduced mass loss by 87.6%, leading to superior tribological performance. This work establishes a robust framework for integrating LST and DGPSA to enhance the durability of ASS in sliding contact applications.