Abstract
In this paper, the morphological, micromechanical and tribological characteristics of the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy after thermal oxidation (TO) were identified. TO was carried out at temperatures of 848 K, 898 K and 948 K over a period of 50 h. Microscopic examination revealed that an increase in temperature resulted in an improved uniformity of coverage and an increased oxide grain size. Micromechanical tests showed that TO of the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy led to an increase in hardness and deformation resistance. Following oxidation, a decrease (by approximately 10-22%) was observed in the total mechanical work of indentation, W(total), compared to the as-received material. The formation of protective oxide films on the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy also led to the improvement of tribological characteristics, both when tested under dry friction conditions and in Ringer's solution. The sliding wear resistance increased with an increase in the oxidation temperature. However, a greater degree of wear reduction (by approximately 30-50%) was found for the lubricated contact in comparison with the dry friction tests. Surface roughness also increased with the increase in temperature.