Study of the Structure and Properties of a Titanium Carbide-Based Composite Coating

The paper investigates the structure and properties of titanium carbide-based composite coatings produced by flame spraying. The relevance of the study is associated with the need to improve the wear resistance and mechanical properties of components operating under abrasive and impact loading conditions in the metallurgical and machine-building industries. A composite powder mixture consisting of titanium carbide, copper, and aluminum was used as the coating material. Titanium carbide acted as a strengthening phase, while copper and aluminum served as damping and binding components. The coating was deposited onto a 30KhGS steel substrate using a 6 PM-II Powder Flame Spray System. Sedimentation analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis, microhardness measurements, and wear resistance tests were carried out. The results demonstrated that the powder mixture has a predominantly fine-dispersed structure favorable for coating formation. The obtained coating exhibited a heterogeneous composite structure with uniformly distributed titanium carbide particles within the metallic matrix. The microhardness of the coating reached HV 770. Wear resistance tests showed insignificant weight loss after 10,000–30,000 abrasion cycles, indicating high wear resistance of the developed coating. It was established that the proposed composite composition contributes to the improvement of the strength characteristics, microhardness, and tribological properties of the surface layer.