Abrasive wear resistance of titanium- and nitrogen-implanted 52100 steel surfaces

Abstract

The wear resistance of titanium- and nitrogen-implanted 52100 bearing steels was measured by an abrasive wear technique with a depth resolution of 20–30 nm. Titanium-implanted surfaces were extremely resistant to wear against fine (1–5 microm) diamond abrasion, which suggests a very hard surface layer. Nitrogen-implanted surfaces, by contrast, wore at the same rate as non-implanted surfaces. Wear resistance versus depth profiles of titanium-implanted surfaces followed the concentration versus depth profile of the implanted titanium. Auger depth profiles indicated a large concentration of carbon (≈20 at.% maximum) distributed with a diffusion-like profile from the titanium-implanted surface into the bulk. The carbon was identified by Auger line shape analysis as a titanium carbide, and the wear resistance of the surface was attributed in part to its presence.