Characteristics and machining applications of Ti(Y)N coatings

The Ti(Y)N coatings were successfully deposited onto 18-8 stainless steel substrates by the hollow cathode discharge ion-plating method. The influence of the rare-earth element yttrium on the TiN coating properties was studied. The results show that the adhesion of the coating to the substrate were evidently enhanced by adding a small amount (0.2 wt.%) of the rare-earth element yttrium, showing a critical load of about 390 g which is much higher than that (230 g) of the TiN coating/substrate. Investigation on the corrosion resistance of the Ti(Y)N coating and the TiN coating was performed in 0.5 N Na₂SO₄ + 0.1 N H₂SO₄ + 0.1 N NaCl corrosion media by means of an electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization. The Ti(Y)N coating exhibited much better corrosion resistance than the TiN coating, whose passivity maintaining current is about one order in magnitude smaller than that of the TiN coating.The Ti(Y)N coatings deposited on some HSS-based tools were presented and compared with the TiN coating. The service lifetime of Ti(Y)N coated tools is approximately 36% higher (on the pinion shape cutters) and about 50% higher (on punch side pin) compared to that of TiN coated. The Ti(Y)N coatings showed such excellent performance. It is attributed to that the transition area of Ti(Y)N/substrate consisted of three sublayers which revealed a gradual change of phase structure and composition, so that the adhesion of the coating/substrate was evidently enhanced. Moreover, Ti(Y)N coating showed a preferred orientation with (111) plane which is favorable to improve wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the coating.     

Hot-Corrosion Resistance of a Sputtered K38G Nanocrystalline Coating in Molten Sulfate at 900°C

The hot-corrosion behavior of a nanocrystalline coating of K38G alloy, prepared by magnetron sputtering and cast K38G in molten 75 wt.% Na₂SO₄+25 wt.% K₂SO₄ at 900°C was studied. The coating eliminated internal sulfidation during the early stage of corrosion as a result of the formation of a continuous and compact Al₂O₃ scale. The nanocrystallization of K38G alloy prolonged the incubation of breakaway corrosion and improved the corrosion resistance of K38G. The relevant corrosion mechanism is discussed.     

Hot corrosion behaviour of low Al NiCoCrAlY cladded coatings reinforced by nano-particles on a Ni-base super alloy

Three NiCoCrAlY coatings with Al content lower than 5 wt.% reinforced by different kinds of nano-particles with the same addition and one without nano-particles were prepared on a Ni-base super alloy using laser cladding technique. Hot corrosion of the NiCoCrAlY coatings in Na₂SO₄/K₂SO₄ (75:25, wt./wt.) mixture was performed at 1050 °C in static air. Results indicate that the hot corrosion resistance of the coatings with nano-particles is better than that of the one without nano-particles, among which the one with nano-CeO₂ presented the best hot corrosion resistance. Effects of nano-particles on the hot corrosion behaviour were also discussed.     

The effect of processing gas on corrosion performance of electroless Ni-W-P coatings treated by laser

An investigation of the microstructural and corrosion characteristics of electroless Ni-5.5 W-6.5P coatings on steel substrates after laser treatment in argon and air is presented. The microstructural characteristics of the coatings, in terms of crystallisation, grain size, microstrain, porosity as well as surface chemistry, were examined using quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical tests, using potentiodynamic polarisation in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution and electrochemical impedances spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% NaCl solution, were undertaken to evaluate the corrosion behaviour of the coatings. The results indicated that the laser-treated coatings consisted of nanocrystalline Ni and Ni₃P phases, along with retained amorphous phase; further, the dimensions of the Ni crystallites were larger than those of Ni₃P. The laser-treated coating in argon revealed the presence of submicron scale porosity, while no porosity was evident in the coating surface treated by laser in air. The uniform corrosion revealed in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution is mainly determined by the microstructural characteristics of the coating. Pitting corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution depended on the amount of porosity on the surface. The laser-treated coating in air exhibited better corrosion resistance in both acidic and chloride environments than that laser-treated in argon.     

Hot corrosion behaviour of plasma sprayed YSZ/Al2O3 dispersed NiCrAlY coatings on Inconel-718 superalloy

Oxide dispersed NiCrAlY bond coatings have been developed for enhancing thermal life cycles of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). However, the role of dispersed oxides on high temperature corrosion, in particular hot corrosion, has not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, the present study aims to improve the understanding of the effect of YSZ dispersion on the hot corrosion behaviour of NiCrAlY bond coat. For this, NiCrAlY, NiCrAlY + 25 wt.% YSZ, NiCrAlY + 50 wt.% YSZ and NiCrAlY + 75 wt.% YSZ were deposited onto Inconel-718 using the air plasma spraying (APS) process. Hot corrosion studies were conducted at 800 °C on these coatings after covering them with a 1:1 weight ratio of Na₂SO₄ and V₂O₅ salt film. Hot corrosion kinetics were determined by measuring the weight gain of the specimens at regular intervals for a duration of 51 h. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques were used to determine the nature of phases formed, examine the surface attack and to carry out microanalysis of the hot corroded coatings respectively. The results show that YSZ dispersion causes enhanced hot corrosion of the NiCrAlY coating. Leaching of yttria leads not only to the formation of the YVO₄ phase but also the destabilization of the YSZ by hot corrosion. For the sake of comparison, the hot corrosion behaviour of a NiCrAlY + 25 wt.% Al₂O₃ coating was also examined. The study shows that the alumina dispersed NiCrAlY bond coat offers better hot corrosion resistance than the YSZ dispersed NiCrAlY bond coat, although it is also inferior compared to the plain NiCrAlY bond coat.     

Preparation and hot corrosion behaviour of an Al-gradient NiCoCrAlYSiB coating on a Ni-base superalloy

A gradient NiCoCrAlYSiB coating was prepared on a Ni-base superalloy using arc ion plating (AIP) and subsequent gaseous phase aluminisation techniques. Hot corrosion of normal NiCoCrAlYSiB and the gradient coating in pure Na₂SO₄ and Na₂SO₄/NaCl (75:25, wt./wt.) salts was performed at 900 °C in static air. The corrosion results indicated an enhanced corrosion resistance to both salts for the gradient NiCoCrAlYSiB coating, which the improved performance of it should be attributed to the β aluminide ‘‘pool” at the surface layer. By partially sacrificing Al₂O₃ (i.e. Al), the gradient NiCoCrAlYSiB coating specimen behaved excellently in the two kinds of salts. The grain growth during the gaseous phase aluminisation and the corrosion mechanism, including the role NaCl played in the mixture salt corrosion, are discussed.     

Influence of pre-oxidation on the hot corrosion of Ti3SiC2 in the mixture of Na2SO4-NaCl melts

Polycrystalline Ti₃SiC₂ suffered from serious hot corrosion attack in the mixture of 75wt.%Na₂SO₄ + 25wt.%NaCl melts at 850 °C. In order to improve the hot corrosion resistance of this material, pre-oxidation treatment was conducted at 1200 °C in air for 2 h. A duplex oxide scale with an outer layer of TiO₂ and an inner layer of a mixture of TiO₂ and SiO₂ was formed during the pre-oxidation. Because the outer oxide layer of the pre-oxidation treated specimens could inhibit hot corrosion process, they exhibited good hot corrosion resistance in the mixture of 75wt.%Na₂SO₄ + 25wt.%NaCl melts at 850 °C for 50 h. However, during the hot corrosion the outer layer of TiO₂ would degrade gradually. Once the outer layer damaged, the hot corrosion rate increased sharply, the corrosion behavior was similar to Ti₃SiC₂ corroded under the same conditions. The microstructure and phase compositions of the hot corrosion samples were investigated by SEM/EDS and XRD.     

Evaluation of cyclic hot corrosion behaviour of detonation gun sprayed Cr3C2-25%NiCr coatings on nickel- and iron-based superalloys

In the present investigation, Cr₃C₂-NiCr cermet coatings were deposited on two Ni-based superalloys, namely superni 75, superni 718 and one Fe-based superalloy superfer 800H by detonation-gun thermal spray process. The cyclic hot-corrosion studies were conducted on uncoated as well as D-gun coated superalloys in the presence of mixture of 75 wt.% Na₂SO₄ + 25 wt.% K₂SO₄ film at 900 °C for 100 cycles. Thermogravimetric technique was used to establish the kinetics of hot corrosion of uncoated and coated superalloys. X-ray diffraction, FE-SEM/EDAX and X-ray mapping techniques were used to analyze the corrosion products for rendering an insight into the corrosion mechanisms. It was observed that Cr₃C₂-NiCr-coated superalloys showed better hot-corrosion resistance than the uncoated superalloys in the presence of 75 wt.% Na₂SO₄ + 25 wt.% K₂SO₄ film as a result of the formation of continuous and protective oxides of chromium, nickel and their spinel, as evident from the XRD analysis.     

Corrosion behavior of Cr/Cu-coated Mg alloy (AZ91D) in 0.1 M H2SO4 with different concentrations of NaCl

An electroplating process was proposed for obtaining a protective Cr/Cu deposit on the two-phase Mg alloy AZ91D. The corrosion behavior of Cu-covered and Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D specimens was studied electrochemically in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ with different NaCl concentrations. Experimental results showed that the corrosion resistance of an AZ91D specimen improved significantly after Cr/Cu electrodeposition. The corrosion resistance of Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D decreased with increasing NaCl concentration in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ solution. After immersion in a 0.1 M H₂SO₄ with a NaCl-content above 3.5 wt.%, the surface of Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D suffered a few blisters. Cracks through the Cr deposit provided active pathways for corrosion of the Cu and the AZ91D substrate. Formation of blisters on the Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D surface was confirmed based on the results of an open-circuit potential test, which detected an obvious potential drop from noble to active potentials.     

Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of microcrystalline aluminium in acidic solutions

The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of microcrystalline pure aluminium coating, fabricated by a magnetron sputtering technique, has been investigated in both 0.5 mol/l NaCl and 0.5 mol/l Na₂SO₄ acidic (pH = 2) aqueous solutions. The corrosion resistance of the microcrystalline Al coating has deteriorated more compared with that of the cast pure Al in Na₂SO₄ acidic solution. However, its oxide film has a higher pitting resistance in the NaCl acidic solution. Chloride ions play a big role in the formation of the oxide film on the microcrystalline Al coating. The higher pitting resistance was attributed to the more acidic isoelectric point which the oxide film achieved.     

Hot corrosion of YSZ/Al2O3 dispersed NiCrAlY plasma-sprayed coatings in Na2SO4-10 wt.% NaCl melt

This study examines the effect of ytrria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) dispersion on hot corrosion behaviour of NiCrAlY bond coat. Hot corrosion studies were conducted on NiCrAlY and NiCrAlY containing 25, 50 and 75 wt.% YSZ coatings obtained through the air plasma spray technique, in Na₂SO₄ + 10 wt.% NaCl environment at 800 °C. The results show that YSZ dispersion lowers the overall hot corrosion tendency of the NiCrAlY, though it enhances the inherent hot corrosion tendency of its metallic constituent (NiCrAlY). Furthermore, there exists a threshold oxide level beyond which it adversely affects the hot corrosion of the coating.     

Study on corrosion behaviour of nanocrystalline and amorphous Co–P electrodeposits

Abstract

In this study, corrosion properties of nanocrystalline and amorphous Co–P coatings prepared using dc electrodeposition were investigated. The morphology of amorphous coatings was smoother and brighter than nanocrystalline coatings with 'cauliflower' morphology. Tafel polarisation tests of the coatings in 0·1M H₂SO₄ solution revealed that the amorphous coating had better corrosion resistance than the nanocrystalline one. Corrosion resistance of both coatings decreased after annealing. On the nanocrystalline coating, corrosion attacks were localised around the nodules on the surface while a more uniform type of attack was observed on amorphous coatings. Neither nanocrystalline nor amorphous coatings showed passivation in 0·1M H₂SO₄ solution, but both of them showed an active–passive behaviour in 10%NaOH solution due to the formation of Co(OH)₂ as fine hexagonal shape products which acted as a passive layer. The passive current density of the amorphous coating was higher than that of the nanocrystalline one, but it was decreased markedly by annealing. However, annealing had no significant effect on the passivation behaviour of the nanocrystalline coating.     

Hot corrosion behaviour of a cobalt-base super-alloy K40S with and without NiCrAlYSi coating

A NiCrAlYSi coating was deposited by arc ion plating on a cobalt-base super-alloy K40S to improve its hot corrosion resistance at 1173 K in air. The K40S suffered from accelerated corrosion and formed non-protective scale with poor adherence when its surface was beneath Na₂SO₄ and Na₂SO₄ containing 25 wt.% NaCl salt deposits. After the K40S was coated with NiCrAlYSi coating, a protective α-Al₂O₃ scale was formed on the coating. Although the NiCrAlYSi coating changed into NiCoCrAlYSi during corrosion processes, it still possessed good corrosion resistance. In addition, the corrosion mechanisms were discussed on a basis of basic fluxing model.     

TiN/Cr/Al2O3 and TiN/Al2O3 hybrid coatings structure features and properties resulting from combined treatment

New experimental results are presented on the structure and the elemental and phase composition of hybrid coatings, which were deposited on a substrate of AISI 321 stainless steel using a combination of plasma-detonation, vacuum-arc and subsequent High-Current Electron Beam (HCEB) treatment. We found that an increase in energy density intensified mass transfer processes and resulted in changes in aluminum oxide phase composition (γ → α and β → α). Also we observed the formation of a nanocrystalline structure in Al₂O₃ coatings. Electron beam treatment of a hybrid coating surface induced higher adhesion, decreased the intensity of surface wear and increased corrosion resistance in a sulphuric acid solution. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was studied in several electrolytic solutions (0.5 M H₂SO₄, 1 M HCl, 0.75 M NaCl) using electrochemical techniques. In most cases the corrosion resistance was improved, except those in NaCl solutions. The nano-hardness of the protecting coating was 13 GPa before electron beam melting and 9 GPa after it (as a result of TiN and Al₂O₃ sub-layers mixing).     

Influence of Ru additions on the corrosion behaviour of WC-Co cemented carbide alloys in sulphuric acid

The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of ruthenium (Ru) additions on the corrosion behaviour of WC-Co cemented carbides when exposed in a reducing acid medium. The study involved the characterization of the microstructures, morphologies and phases present by using the optical microscopy, SEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopy before and after corrosion. The corrosion behaviour was investigated using the electrochemical polarization tests and chronoamperometry. Ruthenium affects the cathodic Tafel constant (β_c) in 1 M H₂SO₄, which indicates that it influences the cathodic part of the corrosion reaction. It also appears that Ru is more effective in improving corrosion resistance than a small vanadium carbide addition. Therefore, ruthenium additions of up to 3 wt.% Ru increased the corrosion resistance of the WC-Co alloys.     

A study on mechanism of corrosion protection of polyaniline coating and its failure

Polyaniline (PANI) coatings were electrochemically deposited on substrates of stainless steel and platinum in solutions of 0.2 M H₂SO₄ and 0.1 M aniline by cyclic voltammetry. The corrosion protection of the PANI coatings and their failure were investigated in 0.2 M H₂SO₄ solution. It was observed that the corrosion protection ability of the coating to steel substrate was increased with the increase of the coating thickness. The corrosion protection ability was mainly attributed to the passivating effect of PANI due to its oxidizing ability in its emeraldine state. During its operation, the PANI coating in emeraldine state tended to gradually lose its corrosion protection ability. This gradual failure of the PANI coating, but faster than expected, was confirmed to be related to a gradual reduction of the emeraldine PANI and a gradually increased resistance between the PANI coating and the stainless steel substrate. These findings lead to a new mechanism for the corrosion protection of PANI coating and its failure.     

The effects of nano-SiO2 additive on the zinc phosphating of carbon steel

In this paper, nano-SiO₂ was used as an accelerator for improving the microstructure and the corrosion resistance of phosphate coating on carbon steel. The chemical composition and microstructure of the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of nano-SiO₂ on weight, roughness and corrosion resistance of the phosphate coatings were also investigated. Results show that the compositions of phosphate coating were Zn₃(PO₄)₂·4H₂O (hopeite), and Zn₂Fe(PO₄)₂·4H₂O (phosphophylite). The phosphate coatings became denser due to the addition of nano-SiO₂ which reduced the size of the crystal clusters. The average weight of phosphate coatings approximately linearly increased with the nano-SiO₂ content in the bath from 0 to 4 g/L, and the phosphate coatings formed in bath containing 2 g/L nano-SiO₂ showed the highest corrosion resistance in 5 wt.% sodium chloride solution at ambient temperature. Nano-SiO₂ would be widely utilized as a phosphating additive to replace the traditional nitrite, due to its less pollutant and its better quality of the coating.     

Electrodeposition of sol-enhanced nanostructured Ni-TiO2 composite coatings

A novel electroplating method has been developed to produce nanocrystalline metal-matrix nano-structured composite coatings. A small amount of transparent TiO₂ sol was added into the traditional electroplating Ni solution, leading to the formation of nanocrystalline Ni-TiO₂ composite coatings. These coatings have a smooth surface. The Ni nodules changed from traditional pyramid-like shape to spherical shape. The grain size of Ni was also significantly reduced to the level of 50 nm. It was found that the amorphous anatase TiO₂ nano-particles (∼ 10 nm) were highly dispersed in the coating matrix. The microhardness was significantly increased from 320 HV₁₀₀ of the traditional Ni coating to 430 HV₁₀₀ of the novel composite coating with 3.26 wt.% TiO₂. Correspondingly, the wear resistance of the composite coating was improved by ∼ 50%.     

Enhanced corrosion resistance of WC-Co with an ion beam mixed silicon carbide coating

Strong adhesion of a silicon carbide (SiC) coating to a WC-Co substrate was achieved through an ion beam mixing technique and the corrosion resistance of the SiC coated WC-Co was investigated by means of a potentiodynamic electrochemical test. In a 1 M NaOH solution, the corrosion current density of SiC-coated WC-Co after heat treatment at 500 °C was about 50 times lower than that for the as-received WC-Co. In addition, the corrosion resistance systematically increases with increasing the SiC coating thickness. On the other hand, for a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution, the corrosion current density for SiC-coated WC-Co was about 3 times lower than that for the as-received WC-Co. We discuss the physical reasons for the changes in the corrosion current density with the different electrolytes.     

Electrochemical kinetics of the high entropy alloys in aqueous environments—a comparison with type 304 stainless steel

A high entropy alloy (HEA) is a multi-component alloy containing several major alloying elements, which has a high degree of atomic disorder that leads to various unique magnetic, mechanical, and electrochemical properties. It is known that one HEA, evaluated previously, is more resistant to general corrosion than type 304 stainless steel (304s), both in H₂SO₄ and in NaCl solutions at room temperature, but pitting corrosion resistance of the HEA is less than that of 304s.The anodic polarization curves determined for the HEA in aqueous environments showed that the general corrosion resistance of both HEA and 304s decreases as the temperature increases above room temperature. The decrease in the corrosion resistance of the HEA with an increase in temperature is less in NaCl than in H₂SO₄. The general corrosion rate for the HEA is lower than that for 304s in H₂SO₄, but higher than that for 304s in NaCl. The activation energies are: 94.06 kJ/mole for the HEA and 219.97 kJ/mole for 304s in 1 N H₂SO₄, and 310.43 kJ/mole for the HEA and 343.18 kJ/mole for 304s in 1 M NaCl. In addition, it was observed that concentration polarization occurred in cathodic reduction processes in deaerated 1 M NaCl at various temperatures.The polarization curves for the HEA and 304s indicated there is mixed control in 1 N H₂SO₄ and anodic control in 1 M NaCl based on the assumption that the surface chemical compositions of the two alloys are similar to their bulk chemical compositions. However, the decrease in the cathodic current with time for the HEA at more negative applied potentials is attributed to the high hydrogen overvoltage. In addition, the weak endothermic reaction revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that only small amounts of Cu-rich phases are segregated in the interdendritic phases; and the wide range of temperatures over which the endothermic reaction occurs indicates the formation of pro-eutectoid phases.