Pulsed electrode surfacing of steel with TiC coating: Microstructure and wear properties

In the present study, pulse electrode surfacing (PES) technique was employe d to deposit ultrahard and wear-resistant titanium carbide (TiC) coating on AISI 1018 steel. Wear resistance of the coated surface increased significa ntly. An attempt was made to correlate the thermodynamic predictions and ex perimental observations. A composite coating that is adherent, crack free, and defect free in nature was obtained, with TiC being the most stable phas e; Islands of TiC of various shapes and sizes are present in the Fe-rich ma trix in the coating. Microhardness measurements suggest high hardness value s in the coating region. Tribological properties such as wear resistance an d coefficient of friction were also measured. The coefficient of friction d ata do not show significant fluctuations. Wear and friction phenomena in su ch a coating have been explained on the basis of a model based on composite /multiphase material.