Tribocorrosion Assessment of Laser Clad Ceramic Reinforced TI6Al4V Surface Composites

This article presents a comprehensive experimental protocol for evaluating the tribocorrosion behavior of additively manufactured TI6Al4V based composites reinforced with ceramic phases using laser metal deposition (LMD). This protocol addresses the need to understand the synergistic degradation mechanisms that arise in components exposed to mechanical loading and corrosive environments in biomedical and aerospace applications. The protocol includes controlled laser cladding of TI6Al4V with Zr/TiC and Ti/TiC reinforcements, followed by detailed microstructural, mechanical, electrochemical, and tribocorrosion characterization. The procedures cover powder handling, substrate preparation, laser processing, metallographic preparation, microscopy, X-ray diffraction, microhardness testing, electrochemical corrosion measurements, and tribocorrosion testing using a reciprocating ball-on-plate tribometer under electrochemical control in a NaCl/H₂SO₄ electrolyte. This method enables real-time assessment of wear-corrosion interactions, including passive film breakdown and re-passivation under sliding conditions, while accounting for additive manufacturing-induced microstructural features. The protocol serves as a standardized framework for evaluating the effectiveness of ceramic reinforcement strategies in improving the functionality of additively manufactured metallic systems intended for challenging environments.