State-of-the-Art titanium carbide hard coatings: a comprehensive review of mechanical and tribological behaviour

This present paper focuses on various conventional and advanced surface modification techniques to enhance surface characteristics, tribological behaviour, and mechanical properties of metals and alloys exposed to abrasive or corrosive environments. A particular importance is given on the utilization of hard protective coatings, notably Titanium Carbide (TiC), known for its exceptional attributes including high chemical and thermal stability, elevated hardness, substantial elastic modulus and a low coefficient of friction. TiC coatings significantly contribute to the improved hardness, wear and corrosion resistance of metals and alloys. Deposition of TiC coatings using various technologies including chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapour deposition (PVD) and laser-based approaches finds application in automobile manufacturing, cutting tools, marine environments, aerospace components, machinery parts among others. In this context the discussion intricately analyses the influence of processing parameters on wear and hardness of TiC coatings along with characterization techniques employed for testing microstructure and tribological properties. A comparative study of various deposition methods is meticulously presented, offering insights into the strengths and limitations of each approach.