Friction and Wear of Ti Based Composites in Water, in Artificial Sea Water and in Ethanol

Abstract

Ti based composites containing TiN and Si_3N_4 were produced by spark plasma sintering method to develop wear resistant materials. The composites consisted of Ti, Tin, Si_3N_4 and TiSix. Sliding tests were conducted in which a composite disk was slid against a pin of the same material in water, in artificial sea water and in ethanol. The wear of the composite was much smaller than that of Ti metal in the tested conditions.