Effect of surface oxidation on wear and tribocorrosion behavior of forged and selective laser melting-based TC4 alloys

Traditional forging and emerging additive manufacturing techniques have been widely used to prepare Ti-6Al-4V (TC4). However, their wear and tribocorrosion properties have not been compared systematically. We simulated the body fluid environment for laboratory comparative analysis. The results revealed that forged TC4 samples exhibited better corrosion resistance than SLM-TC4, and SLM-TC4 exhibited better wear resistance than TC4. Tribocorrosion resistance was significantly affected under conditions of corrosion. The extent of damage realized for the samples was less at a high applied potential (1V) than the extent of damage realized at a low applied potential (0V) under conditions of low-frequency friction (0.083 Hz). It is believed that the oxide formed on the surface plays a protective and lubricative role. • The acicular martensite phase provides higher hardness, resulting in better wear resistance of SLM-TC4. • Forged TC4 has better corrosion resistance due to the oxide layer. • Corrosion factors play a decisive role in tribocorrosion, and oxides provide lubrication and protection.