Titanium oxynitrides combine the properties of metallic oxides and nitrides. In this presentation,
titanium was oxynitrided using inductively coupled RF plasma in a gas mixture containing 80% N2
and 20% O2. The effect of plasma-processing power from 350 up to 550 W on microstructure, mechanical,
tribological, wettability and electrochemical properties of the oxynitrided titanium was
examined using different characterizations and testing techniques. The results demonstrated the
formation of TiO, TiO2 rutile phase, TiNxOy and Ti2N as a result of plasma oxynitriding. The microhardness
of the oxynitrided layers increases up to 766 HV0.1 as the plasma-processing power increases
up to 550 W. The wear and corrosion resistance are improved for oxynitrided titanium in
comparison with untreated samples. Moreover, the friction coefficient decreases from nearly 0.75
for the pure titanium to nearly 0.3 for oxynitrided titanium. The obtained data show an increase of
surface energy and wettability of titanium oxynitride as the plasma power increases. The formation
of hard oxide and oxynitride phases and the transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile
structure at relatively high temperature are the main reasons for the good physical and electrochemical
properties of titanium oxynitride.