Abstract
Herein we study the effect of boronizing treatment on the hardness, friction and wear behaviors of a Ti2AlC MAX phase in contact with alumina. Powder pack cementation was used for boronizing Ti2AlC at 1350°C during 8h. The microstructures of the boronized layer were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction analysis. Nanoindentation and standard pin-on-disc friction wear tests under different applied load were conducted on the borized surface at room temperature. During the boronizing process, in the presence of some oxygen, the boron atoms diffuse into and react with Ti2AlC to produce TiB2 , TiC and Al2O3. The presence of TiB2 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The enhanced friction coefficient can be attributed to the very high hardness and to the load-carrying role of TiB2. The boronizing treatment increases the surface hardness of Ti2AlC from 3.0±1 to 24.25±1.5GPa.
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