Antibacterial Property and Tribological Behavior of Duplex-Surface-Treated AISI 304 Stainless Steel

The duplex treatment of plasma alloying with Cu on plasma alloyed AISI 304 stainless steel with Ni is carried out using a double-glow plasma surface alloying technique. The antibacterial and unlubricated tribological properties of the untreated, Ni-modified, and duplex-treated stainless steel have been investigated by using a spread plate method and a ball-on-disk wear testing method, respectively. The element distribution, phase structure, and microstructure were analyzed by glow discharge spectrum, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicate that the duplex-treated layer with a high Cu content not only exhibits excellent antibacterial properties but also significantly improves the tribological behavior of stainless steel in ambient air. Based on some results from surface characterization, the mechanism of the antibacterial properties and tribological behavior is discussed.