Investigation of structural and tribological properties of electroless Ni-B coated pure titanium

In the present study, the surface of commercial pure (Grade 2) titanium was coated with electroless Ni-B and, then, it was subjected to heat treatment for an hour at 400°. The surface morphology, microstructure and phase identification were analysed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Wear behaviour characterisation was carried out using a ball-on-disc tribometer. The results of the analyses showed that the electroless Ni-B coating had a significantly amorphous structure in the as-deposited condition. It was also determined that the coating structure crystallised after the heat treatment and wear resistance of pure titanium increased after electroless Ni-B coating. Particularly, upon the heat treatment, it was observed that wear resistance and surface hardness of pure titanium considerably increased.