Session: 03-11-01: Multifunctional Materials

Paper Number: 152031

152031 - Influence of Ti3SiC2 Max Phase Addition on the Tribological Performance of Ni-Cr Coatings 

Spacecraft components are subjected to extreme thermal fluctuations during transitions between the bright and dark sides of the Moon, which accelerates wear and diminishes the frictional performance of metallic materials. Application of  multifunctional coatings is a promising approach to promote durability of the metallic components of spacecrafts. Ni-Cr coatings, known for their mechanical strength, temperature resilience, and radiation resistance, are often used in high-temperature environments. However, these coatings suffer from brittleness, poor adhesion, suboptimal wear, and frictional properties. This study explores the enhancement of Ni-Cr coatings by incorporating the layered ternary carbide MAX Phase (Ti₃SiC₂) as dopants, which exhibit enhanced thermal shock resistance and lubrication properties. In this study, NiCr-Ti₃SiC₂ coatings were fabricated on stainless steel substrates using selective laser sintering with 0%, 5%, and 10% MAX Phase compositions. The coatings were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for topological analysis and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for chemical composition. Through the characterization, the effect of multiple laser sintering cycles on the dispersion of the Ni-Cr coating was analyzed. It was observed that higher sintering cycles improved the dispersion of the Ni-Cr coating. Subsequently, the addition of Ti₃SiC₂ further contributed to the enhanced dispersion of the coating. Tribological performance, including coefficient of friction, wear resistance, and durability, was assessed using a standard ball-on-disc tribometer. The coefficient of friction (CoF) results showed that Ni-Cr coating with three laser cycles maintained a stable CoF around 0.4 up to 3,500 cycles, where two laser and 1 one laser cycle samples exhibited CoF of 0.45 and 0.55, respectively, up to 1400 and 450 cycles. Moreover, Ni-Cr coatings containing MAX Phase exhibited 25 times greater durability than the samples without Max-Phase and lasted up to 80,000 cycles with a maximum CoF value of 0.55. Wear track analysis revealed that the MAX Phase promoted the formation of transfer films, reducing abrasive wear and stabilizing the Ni-Cr matrix by minimizing chromium oxidation.

Presenting Author: Sujan Ghosh University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Sujan Ghosh is an assistant professor at the School of Engineering and Engineering
Technology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His expertise is in materials
development, tribology of thin films, surface engineering, and materials characterization. He
earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
He has published 16 peer-reviewed articles and is co-inventor of 2 patents.