Laser cladding combined with surface texturing on Ti-Al-C-N composite coatings: A synergistic approach to enhance friction reduction

Ti6Al4V titanium alloys, critical for aerospace components, exhibit insufficient surface hardness and fretting wear resistance, undermining reliability in high-stress environments like aero-engines. While laser-clad coatings enhance surface properties, the synergistic integration of composite coatings with surface texturing to optimize fretting wear resistance remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by developing Ti-Al-C-N composite coatings on Ti6Al4V substrates via laser cladding. Furthermore, laser surface texturing was applied to surface of the coating to clarify the mechanisms of texture density, size, and morphology on the high-temperature fretting friction coefficient, thereby achieving coatings with reduced friction and enhanced wear resistance. Results demonstrate that texture density critically influences friction reduction: excessively dense arrangements hinder performance, whereas moderate densities lower the coefficient of friction (COF) by 30–50 %. Further, maximizing the absolute difference between texture size and displacement amplitude minimized COF, highlighting the interplay between mechanical interaction and texture geometry. Among patterns, the honeycomb texture exhibited superior performance, reducing COF by 50 % compared to circular textures and 30 % against fish-scale designs, attributed to its stress distribution and debris-trapping capabilities. These findings provide actionable guidelines for designing textured coatings to extend the lifespan of titanium alloy components in aerospace systems, emphasizing the importance of geometry-driven optimization in surface engineering.