Surface Modification Effect on Wear Behavior of AISI P20 Steel

The ability to change the surface properties of a component by the use of surface coatings has opened many new applications in a number of large technological areas. Over the past few years, surface coatings technology has been widely applied in various sectors, including electronics, automobiles, aviation, modes, and daily necessities. In this paper, the wear properties of the steel tool AISI P20 unheat-treated uncoated and coated by NiB were studied using friction tests. The pin-on-disc tests were completed under dry sliding conditions at different loads; 2N, 4N and 7N. Optical microscopy and laser profilometry were employed to analyze the wear track of both uncoated and NiB-coated AISI P20 steel. In both cases, AISI P20 steel exhibited abrasive wear as the predominant mechanism. However, it was observed that the extent of damage, as indicated by wear depth and width, was more pronounced when AISI P20 was uncoated. Consequently, the Ni-B coating demonstrated an enhancement in wear resistance and overall tribological performance for AISI P20 steel.