TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR STUDY OF SiO₂-TiO₂-COATED INCONEL 617 ALLOY FABRICATED BY TIG WELDING

In this study, the tribological behavior of Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welded Inconel 617 alloy has been studied using the Pin-on-disc tribometer. TIG welding was performed after imparting surface coatings to the Inconel 617 alloy which was coated with a blend of Silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) in different proportions. Three samples were prepared by varying the coating composition and weld current. The Coefficient of Friction (COF), wear depth ([Formula: see text]m) and hardness of the samples were estimated. Microstructure analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were also carried out on the samples. The wear depth of the Inconel 617 substrate, as well as weld bead samples 1, 2, and 3, were 2055.1, 415.39, 463.17, and 560.68 [Formula: see text]m respectively. The COF for the Inconel 617 substrate and weld bead samples 1, 2, and 3 were determined as 0.384, 0.491, 0.471, and 0.455 respectively. By analyzing the results of the wear test, it was observed that ‘sample 1’ welded at the lowest heat input of 4.32 kJ/mm, exhibited superior tribological characteristics including reduced wear (415.39 [Formula: see text]m) and an increased COF (0.491) compared to the other samples. The enhanced tribological performance could be attributed to factors such as the presence of carbides like TiC and notably the higher hardness (284.12[Formula: see text]HV) exhibited by ‘sample 1’.