Wear is a major issue in industry, particularly with metal components. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate methods that offer increased resistance to this phenomenon. In this research, three coating systems (pure WC-CoCr and WC-CoCr/NiCrFeSiBC+Mo, 88:12 and 83:17 wt.%) were thermally sprayed on an AISI 1018 steel substrate through the High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) process. The coatings were characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with the energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). An analysis of the wear rate for ball-on-flat linear reciprocating sliding tribological tests for the coatings was also carried out. The coating microstructure presents well-dispersed NiCrFeSiBC splats. The WC-CoCr/NiCrFeSiBC+Mo, 88:12, system has the highest wear resistance, decreasing by 30.2% at high loads compared to commercial WC-CoCr CERMETs, and also exhibits the highest fracture toughness. Analysis of wear tracks shows that the material removal at all charges occurred mainly by an abrasive wear mechanism.

The microstructure, elastoplastic properties, and corrosive response of induced porous Ti-TiH₂ materials reinforced with TiB₂ particles were investigated. Samples were fabricated using CP-Ti Grade1, Titanium Hydride (TiH₂), TiB₂ powders (0, 3, 10, and 30 vol.%), and ammonium bicarbonate salt (40 vol.%) as a space holder. Composites were fabricated using the Powder Metallurgy technique under high-vacuum conditions (HVS) at 1100 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation tests, and electrochemical assays were used to investigate the pore formation, pore distribution, phase formation, elastoplastic properties, and electrochemical behavior of the compounds, respectively. With a mean pore diameter of 50–900 µm and Young’s modulus of less than 100 GPa, which is close to the properties of human bone, the pore structures of the compounds processed here are shown to be a potential biomaterial for osseointegration. In addition, their $H/E_r$ and $H^3/{E_r}^2$ ratios for the reinforced samples are higher than those of the unreinforced sample (1.5 and 4 times higher than the unreinforced sample, respectively), suggesting a better wear resistance of the Ti-TiH₂/xTiB₂ composites. Electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the Ti-TiH₂/xTiB₂ composites exhibited superior passivation properties compared to the Ti-TiH₂ sample. Additionally, the corrosion rates exhibited by the 3 and 10 vol.% of TiB₂ samples were found to be within an acceptable range for potential biomedical applications (29.26 and 185.82 E-3 mm·y⁻¹). The elastoplastic properties combined with the electrochemical behavior place the Ti-TiH₂/3-10TiB₂ composites as potential candidates for the biomedical application of CP-Ti.

Tantalum (Ta) is an excellent alternative for structural orthopedic implants because of its high biocompatibility and chemical stability, but its melting point of 3020 °C severely complicates conventional casting. To address this, the study evaluates spark plasma sintering (SPS) to consolidate pure Ta powders at 1450 °C and 50 MPa and analyzes the impact of heating rates (50–200 °C/min) on microstructural, mechanical, wear, and corrosion properties. Results indicate that heating rate dictates final densification: a 50 °C/min rate achieved 98.59% relative density, whereas 200 °C/min yielded only 82.28% due to reduced thermal exposure. Sintering involved dislocation creep and viscous flow mechanisms, with X-ray diffraction confirming a stable α-Ta matrix across all samples. Mechanically, the 50 °C/min samples achieved a maximum microhardness of 285 HV, whereas higher porosity at 200 °C/min reduced hardness by 27.8%. Wear testing showed a two-stage friction evolution: an initial Ta₂O₅ solid-lubricating effect, followed by predominant abrasion and adhesion, with stable wear rates (3.2 to 3.6 × 10⁻³ mm³/N·m) for dense specimens. Finally, tests in simulated body fluid confirmed spontaneous self-passivation. However, the corrosion rate increased with heating rates, indicating that the resulting porosity adversely affects the material’s surface response.