TRIBOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION OF CVD DIAMOND-COATED TI-6AL-4V(1)

CVD diamond coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates were found to be highly e ffective in reducing fretting fatigue which, for example, can occur in the root section of aerospace compressor blades. Optimization of a me chanical polishing process leads to significant improvements in the tr ibological properties of these diamond coatings. This is shown by extr emely low wear rates and low coefficients of friction against bearing steel, alumina and diamond. The wear and friction behavior was investi gated in a ball-on-disk tribometer and characterized by profilometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.