Tribological Behavior of Diamondlike Carbon Film-Deposited Ti6Al4V Alloy Swinging Against Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene in Fetal Bovine Serum

Abstract

Titanium alloys are widely used in the field of artificial joints, but their poor wear resistance limits their clinical application. Therefore, in this paper, the diamondlike carbon (DLC) film deposited on Ti6Al4V alloy surface by unbalanced magnetron sputtering technology to improve its wear resistance. Swinging tests are conducted on a self-refit multifreedom degree friction tester, and their coefficient of friction, wear loss, and wear morphology were analyzed. Results show that there are no evident scratches on the socket surface with small axial load and angular displacement. The worst wear scratches appear under the largest load and swing angular displacement. A spot of scratches with different depths are found on the edge of the socket, which reveals the characteristic of swinging friction. The friction coefficient increases from 0.134 to 0.206 as the axial load increases, and increases from 0.11 to 0.186 as the swing angular displacement increases. Therefore, the swing angular displacement has greater influence on the wear degree. The wear mechanisms of DLC film involved a combination of fatigue, adhesive, and abrasive wear.