Surface Engineering Approach to Enhance the Tribological Performance of Titanium Nitride–Coated Stainless Steel against Ti6Al4V under Wet Condition

The impact of a titanium nitride (TiN) coating by the cathodic arc deposition (CAD) technique on a 316L stainless steel (SS) 316L substrate is examined in this experimental work. The X-ray diffraction study showed that TiN made the osbornite phase grow in the coated specimen. The SS 316L sample had a hardness of 217.66 HV, and the samples with CAD coatings were five times harder than the uncoated disc. The wear test was conducted using a pin-on-disc tribometer under dry and wet conditions at loading conditions of 2 N, 4 N, and 6 N with the counterpart of grade 5 titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V). Wear resistance improved significantly, with the wear rate decreasing markedly after coating compared to the uncoated sample. The wear morphology of the wear on the contact surfaces was identified by SEM analysis of the images. The biocompatibility of the ceramic-coated SS 316L sample with the normal cell line was proved by a cell viability test. The demand for SS 316L and the use of CAD coatings to reduce friction and wear in bio-implant applications were the main topics of the current study.