Enhanced Erosion Resistance of an Ultrafine-Grained Ti Alloy with a PVD Coating

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of the erosive wear resistance, strength, and adhesive characteristics of the high-temperature structural titanium alloy Ti-5.7Al-3.8Mo-1.2Zr-1.3Sn (the Russian grade VT8M-1) with coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained (UFG) structures and a protective erosion-resistant TiVN coating produced by physical vapor deposition (PVD), deposited on the alloy surface. A microscopic analysis of the areas subjected to the action of abrasive particles was performed, and different characters of erosive wear were revealed depending on the structural state of the alloy. The obtained results convincingly demonstrate that by means of refining the grain structure of alloys and depositing a protective ion-plasma TiVN coating on the alloy surface, it is possible to significantly increase the erosion resistance of materials operating under high loads and in aggressive environments.