The effect of dispersing agents on the electrophoretic deposition, morphology and adhesion strength of multicomponent TiN/PTFE/PEEK coatings

In this work, multicomponent PEEK coatings with PTFE particles and TiN nanoparticles were developed on Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrates using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and post-EPD heat treatment. Three different polyelectrolytes involving chitosan, PAZO and sodium alginate were used to enable the co-deposition of all particles on one electrode. All polyelectrolytes were effective and enabled coating deposition through electrosteric stabilization of suspension. The EPD mechanism consisted of the adsorption of the dispersant on the surface of the particles and the imparting of a positive (chitosan) or negative (PAZO, sodium alginate) charge. Heat treatment densified the coatings but also caused microcrack formation in the coating with chitosan, shrinkage of the polymers in the coating with PAZO, and open porosity in the coating with sodium alginate. Coatings obtained from suspension with chitosan showed excellent adhesion strength and scratch resistance, higher that those deposited from suspensions containing PAZO or alginate. The introduction of TiN and PTFE particles into the PEEK matrix resulted in a simultaneous reduction of the friction coefficient and wear rate of the titanium alloy in the case of coatings with chitosan and alginate. These coatings are promising for improving the wear and friction properties of titanium alloys.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr POPUL/SP/0154/2024/02 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki II" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki (2025).