Corrosion-Wear Interaction Behavior of TC4 Titanium Alloy in Simulated Seawater

The interaction between electrochemical corrosion and mechanical wear of TC4 titanium alloy in simulated seawater was studied by using a self-made tribocorrosion device. The effects of electrochemical parameter on the corrosion and wear of TC4 titanium alloy were discussed. During the trobicorrosion process, the corrosion potential of TC4 titanium alloy shifted toward more negative values, and the corrosion current increased along with the increase of the applied potential, and the lowest friction coefficient of TC4 titanium alloy was obtained under the current potential of about zero (OCP). The fact that the loss of TC4 titanium alloy volume increased along with the increase of the applied potential, confirming that the interaction between corrosion and wear was enhanced along with the increase of the applied potential. When the potential increased from –0.5 V to 0.8 V, the material loss caused by the interaction of corrosion and wear increased from 12% to 66%, and the loss caused by corrosion-induced wear increased from 7% to 44%. Under applied potential equal or lower than OCP, the wear mechanism of TC4 titanium alloy was abrasive wear. The wear mechanism of TC4 titanium alloy at a potential of 0 V was abrasive wear and fatigue wear. The wear mechanism of TC4 titanium alloy at a potential of 0.8 V was abrasive wear and friction-induced corrosion wear.