Abstract: The effect of the surface treatment on the fretting wear behavior of 316LVM austenitic stainless steel was investigated in the Ringer’s solution by a Servo Hydraulic Dynamic Test machine. Three kinds of surface treatments were used in the experiments, namely low-temperature plasma nitriding at 430℃, carbonitriding at 430℃, and carburising at 500℃, respectively. The experimental results indicated that all the three treatments created a layer of “S” phase on the sample surface, which effectively improved the hardness and elastic modulus of 316LVM and further enhanced its anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties. The 316LVM nitrided at 430℃showed the similar friction behavior as that carbonitrided at 430℃. Even the 316LVM carburised at 500℃ exhibited the lowest friction coefficient; the low-temperature plasma carbonitrided at 430℃ was the best surface treatment of three against the fretting wear of medical grade 316LVM austenitic stainless steels in this experiment.

Key words: surface treatment, medical grade austenitic stainless steels, fretting wear

Author: Qing Linmao, Professor, Tribology Research Institute, National Traction Power Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China

E-mail: linmao@swjtu.edu.cn

Tribology, Vol. 29, Issue 5, 2009, 399-403.