Surface pattern effect on tribological behaviors with different thin film metallic glass coatings of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

In this investigation Zr-based (Zr ₅₁ Cu ₃₁ Al ₃ Ni ₅ ) and Ti-based (Ti ₄₀ Zr ₁₀ Cu ₈ Nb ₇ Co ₇ ) thin-film metallic glass (TFMG), in different thickness, were used to improve the tribological properties of 7075 aluminum alloy substrates with different surface patter. Wear tests were performed in refrigerator oil to evaluate the effect of thin film adhesion strength and surface pattern on the wear resistance. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), nanoindenter and scratch tester were used to analyze the metallurgical and mechanical properties of the specimens. The stress distribution of TFMG on the 7075 aluminum alloy substrates under line contact condition was evaluated by ANSYS. According to the experiment results, wear resistance of the sample that was coated with a 200nm-thick Ti-based was better than the other coated samples, because surface texture can increase mechanical locking effect to enhance adhesive strength, and Ti-based thin film coating can improve tribological performance and reduce wear loss.