Enhancing corrosive-wear resistance of 316 austenitic stainless steel via surface texturing and double glow plasma surface alloying with titanium (Ti)

316 austenitic stainless steel exhibits significant corrosion failure in high-salt and friction-coupling environments, leading to substantially shortened service life in marine engineering and medical device applications. This highlights the necessity of surface treatment technologies to enhance material performance. To improve corrosive-wear resistance of 316 austenitic stainless steel in simulated seawater, surface texturing combined with double glow plasma surface alloying with titanium (DGPST) was conducted. Four samples were received: untreated substrate (G-316SS), DGPST-treated (T-316SS), surface textured (ST-316SS), surface textured and DGPST (DT-316SS). Their microstructure, mechanical properties, wear, and corrosion resistance were analyzed using XRD, SEM, nanoindentation, electrochemical tests, and friction/wear tests in simulated seawater. Results showed the composite DT-316SS sample achieved the highest corrosion potential, about −0.42 V, indicating superior corrosion resistance. The texture reduces friction contact area and stores lubricant, enhancing tribological performance. The T-316SS has better overall tribological properties. This is attributed to its dense layer rich in titanium, which enhances its tribological properties. The wear test results showed that the composite-treated and DGPST-treated samples had lower friction coefficient and wear rate. The surface hardness of the treated titanium is twice as high as that of the stainless steel matrix, up to 6.5 GPa, and the wear rate is reduced from 1.2 × 10 - 5 mm 3 /(N·m) to 0.32 × 10 - 5 mm 3 /(N·m).