Effect of Gradient Layer Induced by Laser Shock Peening on Adhesion and Wear Resistance of AlCrN Coatings on TC4 Titanium Alloy

To address the inherent defects in the fabrication of AlCrN titanium alloy coatings and enhance interfacial bonding strength as well as tribological performance, an AlCrN coating was employed as an absorption layer and subjected to laser shock processing to form an AlCrN/TC4 transition layer. Subsequently, a secondary AlCrN coating was deposited to construct a gradient coating architecture. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies and elemental distributions under varying laser energies were systematically investigated, and the influence of laser energy on the adhesion and wear resistance of the gradient coatings was analyzed. The results demonstrate that with increasing laser impact energy, the thickness of the AlCrN/TC4 transition layer gradually decreases from 3.75 μm to 1.32 μm, accompanied by significant changes in elemental distribution across the surface and cross-section. The interfacial bonding strength of the gradient coating increases substantially from 13.6 N to 43.3 N, while the average friction coefficient rises from 0.436 to 0.507. Concurrently, the wear track depth is reduced, and the wear rate decreases from 86.46 × 10−5 mm3/(N·m) to 7.67 × 10−5 mm3/(N·m). Laser shock peening promotes elemental diffusion, enabling the formation of a diffusion-aided interlayer. The incorporation of this diffused zone facilitates the successful construction of a high-quality TC4 titanium alloy gradient coating, effectively broadening the film–substrate interface, enhancing surface hardness, and significantly improving both interfacial adhesion and wear resistance.