Wear Mechanisms of Electrical Steel Sheets, Hard Metal and High Speed Steel Pins Coated with TiAlN and TiCN

Abstract

The wear behaviour of electrical steel sheets, hard metal plasma nitrided and high speed HSS steel M2 coated with TiAlN and TiCN are investigated and compared, using the pin-on-disk standard test under different loads. The coating process has been performed in an industrial equipment unit for maximised conditions and the coated layers were measured and characterised. The load, sliding distance and velocity were kept constant during the sliding test in order to control these variables. The counterface disks used were electric steel sheets. The lost volume and temperature at the pin end have been measured during the wear test and comparisons for the coated HSS steel and hard metal were done, using a plot of lost volume versus sliding distance for both materials. A brief review of the main abrasion mechanisms of metals is presented. The pin worn surfaces were observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope. Hard metal plasma nitrided has shown superior wear resistance than WC with no surface treatment. The HSS steel coated with TiAlN had a wear resistance similar to the WC.