<p>The present study explores the tribological properties of TiN/Fe composite coatings applied to AISI-304 stainless steel using a Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) heat source. Commercially pure Titanium Nitride (TiN) and Iron (Fe) powders were ball-milled and mixed in four distinct ratios, then applied to the substrate using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a binder. The coating process was executed using optimized parameters to generate TiN/Fe composite layers. Microstructural analysis revealed a crack-free surface with a strong metallurgical bond between the coating and AIS-304 steel substrate. The composite layer consisted of both matrix and reinforcement phases with minimal oxidation, and included γ-Fe, solid solutions, and intermetallic compounds (Fe₃N, Cr₂Ti, Fe₂Ti, and TiN), as confirmed by XRD analysis. The Fe-20%TiN composite coating exhibited a remarkable microhardness of 1463 HV_0.1, surpassing the other compositions (Fe-15%TiN, Fe-10%TiN, and Fe-5%TiN), which ranged from 953 to 1463 HV_0.1, representing a 568% improvement over the substrate. The higher TiN content notably enhanced wear resistance, with the Fe-20%TiN coating demonstrating a wear rate of 47.47 × 10⁻⁹&#xa0;g/ (N.m), offering 3.81 times superior wear resistance than untreated AISI-304 stainless steel. Under a 20 N applied load, the TiN/Fe clad samples displayed lower friction coefficients compared to the untreated AISI-304 steel, with smoother wear surfaces and shallower wear grooves, particularly in the Fe-20%TiN reinforcement phase. This study presents an innovative approach to enhancing the tribological performance of 304 steel substrates through optimized composite coatings, making it ideal for high-load applications.</p>