The oxidation behavior and mechanical performance of Ti60 alloy with enamel coating

In the present paper, the influence of enamel coating, compared to the traditional TiAlCr coating, on oxidation behavior and oxygen contamination of Ti60 alloy at 700 and 800 °C was studied. A continuous protective alumina scale formed on TiAlCr coating during oxidation at the two temperatures; but a rather heavy interdiffusion layer appeared at the interface of TiAlCr/Ti60 during oxidation at 800 °C. The uniform and dense enamel coating could provide excellent protectiveness to Ti60 due to its thermal chemical stability and good compatibility in terms of thermal expansion coefficient to the substrate Ti60 alloy. According to the microhardness measurement results, there exists a layer of contamination of about 30 μm into the alloy after the enamel was vitrified for 30 min at 900 °C in air; but the depth of oxygen contamination into the alloy changed little after oxidation for 1000 h at 600 °C. The strength and the elongation at ambient temperature of Ti60 alloy with enamel coating decreased about 7.4% and 3.4% in comparison to the original bare alloy, respectively. From the results, the enamel coating could protect Ti60 alloy from oxidation and oxygen embrittlement.     

Growth kinetics and oxidation behavior of WSi2 coating formed by chemical vapor deposition of Si on W substrate

The growth kinetics of WSi₂ coating formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Si on a W substrate at temperatures between 1000 and 1200 °C using SiCl₄–H₂ gas mixtures was investigated and its isothermal oxidation resistance in 80% Ar–20% O₂ atmosphere was evaluated at temperatures between 800 and 1300 °C. WSi₂ coating grew with a parabolic rate law after an initial incubation period, indicating the diffusion-controlled growth. The activation energy for growth of WSi₂ coating was about 42.5 kcal/mol. The isothermal oxidation rate of WSi₂ coating increased with increasing oxidation temperature but rapidly decreased at 1300 °C. The oxidation product of WSi₂ coating was composed of the WO₃ particles embedded in the amorphous SiO₂ matrix at below 1200 °C but consisted of only SiO₂ phase at 1300 °C. The fast oxidation behavior of WSi₂ coating at below 1200 °C was attributed to the formation of many cracks and pores, i.e. short-circuit diffusion path of oxygen, within the oxide scale, which resulted from the internal stress generated both by the large volume expansion caused by the oxidation reactions of WSi₂ and by the evaporation of WO₃ phase. The slow oxidation behavior of WSi₂ coating at 1300 °C was due to the exclusive formation of a slow-growing continuous SiO₂ scale by the rapid evaporation of WO₃ phase.     

Microstructures and properties of coating from cemented carbide by vacuum powder sintering

In this paper, the microstructures and properties of coating from cemented carbide of WC–Fe–Co–Ni on the substrate 45 steel are studied. The effects of sintering temperature on the microstructures of coating, the interface structures between coating and the substrate, the microhardness distribution and its wear resistance in the coating are investigated. The results indicate that the coating is strongly metallurgical bonded with the substrate by the mutual diffusion and penetration of Fe towards the coating and W, Co, Ni towards the substrate at sintering temperature ranging from 1280 °C to 1300 °C. The coating obtained exhibits compact structure and uniformly distribution of WC with fine grain and porosity free from defects, having high microhardness and preferable wear resistance.     

Surface alloying of an Mg alloy subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment

A 100  200 μm thick Al-enriched surface alloyed layer was formed on an AZ91D Mg alloy subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment and diffusion coating at temperature as low as 400 °C. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicated the formation of a large volume fraction of pearlite-like lamellar microstructure within the surface alloyed layer, which was identified to be Mg₁₇Al₁₂ precipitates (γ phase) in Mg solid solution matrix. The Al-enriched alloyed layer enhanced the wear resistance of the alloy in comparison with the un-treated AZ91D Mg alloy substrate under the same dry sliding wear condition. Examination of the worn surface indicated that the enhanced wear resistance of the alloyed layer was mainly attributed to the strengthening effect of γ phase.     

Recycling of heavy metal alloy turnings to powder by oxidation–reduction process

The processes of direct recycling heavy metal turnings by oxidation–reduction technique have been investigated in details. The average particle size of recycled alloy powders was about 1.5 μm, and the shape of powder particle was regular when the final reduction temperature was 850 °C. The average size of the particle increased to 5 and 8 μm when increasing the reduction temperature to 900 and 950 °C, respectively. However, if the reduction temperature was above 900 °C, the surface of powder was complicated. Increasing reduction temperature from 900 to 950 °C, the particle of recycled powder grew slightly, and the content of oxygen decreased from 0.2314% to 0.1700%. It has been also found that the chemical composition of the recycled alloy powder is the same as the primary heavy metal turnings.     

Microstructure of electroplated hard chromium coatings after plasma nitrocarburizing

Plasma nitrocarburizing was carried out on the hard chromium coating deposited on SM45C mild carbon steel substrate by electroplating. After plasma nitrocarburizing at 720 °C for 20 h, a 6–7-μm-thick nitride layer consisting of CrN and Cr₂N was formed on the surface of Cr coating with the microhardness of about 950–1100 HV0.1. Due to the effect of annealing caused by plasma nitrocarburizing process at higher temperature and the Cr being a strong carbide-forming element, the carbon in steel substrate diffused outward into the Cr coating and reacted with Cr forming Cr carbide interface layer between the Cr electroplating and substrate. The nitrogen going into the microcracks and the volume increase accompanied by Cr nitride and carbide formation would cause the microcracks inherent to hard chromium plating disappear and improve its corrosion resistance. The microstructures of nitride and carbide layers were studied using X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.     

Oxidation behavior of ceramic coatings on Ti–6Al–4V by micro-plasma oxidation

Compound ceramic coatings prepared on Ti–6Al–4V alloy by pulsed bi-polar micro-plasma oxidation (MPO) in NaAlO₂ solution were oxidized under different temperature in air. The phase composition and surface morphology of the coatings before and after oxidation were investigated by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Meantime, the weight gains and the high temperature oxidation characteristics of the coated samples were investigated. The results show that the coatings prepared by MPO were composed of a large amount of Al₂TiO₅ and a little -Al₂O₃ and rutile TiO₂. And the oxidation process of the coated samples included the decomposition of the Al₂TiO₅ in the coating, the oxidation of the substrate and the changes of the coating structure. After high temperature oxidation, the increase of -Al₂O₃ in the coating was due to the decomposition of Al₂TiO₅, whereas the increase of rutile TiO₂ in the coating was attributable to both the decomposition of Al₂TiO₅ and the oxidation of the Ti substrate. The main crystalline of the coatings became rutile TiO₂ after the oxidation of 1000 °C for 1 h. The decomposition of Al₂TiO₅ in the coating occurred at 900 and 1000 °C, and its half decomposition time was less than 1 h at 1000 °C. Increasing oxidation temperature or extending oxidation time, the weight gains of coated samples was increased to different extent. However, the weigh gains of the coated samples was much lower than that of the substrate, so the ceramic coatings improved the oxidation resistance of Ti alloy greatly under the experimental conditions.     

Oxidation resistance of TiAl3-Al composite coating on orthorhombic Ti2AlNb based alloy

The TiAl₃-Al composite coating on orthorhombic Ti₂AlNb based alloy was prepared by cold spray. Oxidation in air at 950 °C indicated that the bare alloy exhibited poor oxidation resistance due to the formation of TiO₂/AlNbO₄ mixture and intended to scale off at the TiO₂ rich zone. A nitride layer about 2 µm was formed under the oxide layer. The oxygen invaded deeply into the alloy and caused severe microhardness enhancement in the near surface region. The TiAl₃-Al composite coating exhibited parabolic oxidation kinetics and showed no sign of degradation after oxidized up to 1098 h at 950 °C in air under quasi-isothermal condition. No scaling of the coating was observed after oxidized at 950 °C up to the tested 150 cycles. The major oxide in the oxidized coating was Al₂O₃. The AlTi₂N, TiAl and small amount of TiO₂ were also observed in the oxidized coating. The EPMA and microhardness tests showed that inward oxygen diffusion was prevented by the interlayer, which was formed between the composite coating and the substrate during heat-treatment. Microstructure analyses demonstrated that the interlayer play a major role in protecting the substrate alloy from high temperature oxidation and interstitial embrittlement.     

Effects of temperature and current density on the surface hardness and tribological properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by molten salt carburization

Surface hardening of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was achieved by carburization in a molten salt bath containing BaCO₃ as the carbon-yielding agent with electrolysis within the temperature range 790–930°C. The hardness of the total carburizing layer (TCD) is influenced by the bath temperature, the applied current density and the carburizing period. The major hardening effect is considered to be the formation of a solid solution of carbon in -Ti. The oxide film wrapping at the outermost surface of cathodically charged specimens, identified to be mainly BaTiO₃, was formed irrespective of the bath temperature during the quenching process and has no effect on the surface hardening. The optimal carburizing parameters obtained in this study for surface hardening are carburizing at 930±10°C (bath temperature) and 0.3 A/Cm² (applied current density) for 90 min (carburizing period), while those for tribological properties improvement are carburizing at 860±5°C and 0.3 A/Cm² for 90 min.     

The preparation of calcium phosphate coatings on titanium and nickel–titanium by rf-magnetron-sputtered deposition: Composition, structure and micromechanical properties

Thin calcium phosphate coatings with a thickness of 0.09 to 2.7 µm were prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering deposition on NiTi and Ti substrates at a substrate temperature of 500 °C in argon atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the surface structure is uniform and dense without visible defects (pores and microcracks). Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed that the coating contains calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen with a uniform composition. Crystallographically, the coating consists of crystalline hydroxyapatite which is also supported by infrared spectroscopy. The mechanical characteristics of the coating were measured by nanoindentation (Vickers indenter), giving a nanohardness of 10 GPa and a Young's modulus of 110 GPa. The strength of adhesion of the calcium phosphate coating to the metallic substrates depended on the coating's thickness and decreased for a thickness larger than 1.6 µm. No difference was observed between NiTi and Ti substrates.     

Fabrication and oxidation behavior of Cr2AlC coating on Ti6242 alloy

An ∼ 5 µm Cr₂AlC coating was synthesized on near-α titanium alloy Ti6242 using an industrially sized magnetron sputtering coater. Isothermal oxidation at 700 °C and 800 °C, and cyclic oxidation at 700 °C of the bare alloys and coated specimens were investigated in air. The results indicated that the Ti6242 alloy faced serious oxidation problems at 700 °C and 800 °C. Repeated formation and spallation of the multilayered oxide scale on the Ti6242 alloy occurred during oxidation testing. The coated specimens exhibited much better oxidation behaviour as compared to the bare alloy. A continuous Al-rich oxide scale formed on the coating surface during the initial oxidation stages. The oxide scale and coating itself acted as diffusion barriers blocking the further ingress of oxygen and protected the substrate alloy from oxidation. The oxidation mechanisms of the bare alloy and the coated specimens were investigated based on the experimental results.     

海水温度对金属氧化物阳极强化电解失效行为影响

采用热分解法在钛基体上制备钌铱锡金属氧化物阳极,通过SEM、EDX、循环伏安、电化学阻抗谱及强化电解寿命试验等测试方法,探求不同海水温度对于钌铱锡金属氧化物阳极强化电解失效行为的影响规律。结果表明：在5~20 ℃海水温度条件下,阳极寿命短,失效阳极的中心区域存在少量残余涂层,呈现龟裂状形貌,而边缘地带Ti基体基本暴露,涂层发生局部电化学溶解或剥落;当海水电解温度为40 ℃时,阳极寿命较长,阳极涂层发生均匀电化学溶解。另外,随着海水温度的升高,阳极电化学活性表面积增大,稳定性逐渐提高。5~20 ℃条件下阳极失效主要是由于Ru组元的选择性溶解和涂层局部剥落导致,而40 ℃条件下涂层也发生电化学溶解,但TiO2钝化膜的形成是引起阳极失效的主要原因     

Eddy currents and hardness testing for evaluation of steel decarburizing

Usual heat treatments of steels like austenitization are generally conducted in air. In such atmosphere, a part of the atoms of carbon could be removed from the superficial zone of steel. Indeed, those atoms of carbon, combined with oxygen present in atmosphere, can take gaseous form of carbon monoxide due to the great attraction between atoms of carbon and oxygen. This well-known phenomenon is called decarburizing. It can change microstructure to a large extent and, as a result, bring dramatic modifications of mechanical properties of steel, like decrease of fatigue lifetime. To characterize the extent of decarburizing phenomenon, observations by optical microscopy and/or hardness profiles measurements must be performed in a cross section, as it is advised by international standard. Until today, the eddy current technique is used to detect superficial defects. In practice, the control consists to create two groups of available samples or not, from a large sampling. In this study, we propose to estimate the decarburizing extent.

In the present work, different durations of austenitizing at 920 °C temperature before oil quenching (50 °C) were performed on the SAE 92V45 steel in order to obtain various morphologies and different total depths of the decarburized zone. We will show, in the continuation, how eddy currents control is used to assess the level of decarburizing after a Fourier transformation performed on the output signal. This analysis allows us to link the harmonic decomposition of the signal to the duration of the heat treatment and/or to the total decarburizing depth and, consequently, to the mechanical properties.     

Studies on the development of TZM alloy by aluminothermic coreduction process and formation of protective coating over the alloy by plasma spray technique

TZM alloy is a potential candidate for high temperature structural applications. However, in the preparation of this alloy by conventional melt-casting route, difficulties are encountered in achieving homogenized alloy composition in view of high melting temperature of the alloy and presence of minor alloying components. Therefore, an alternative technique of aluminothermic co-reduction was adopted to prepare TZM alloy of composition, Mo-0.5Ti-0.1Zr-0.02 °C, wt.% by simultaneous reduction of uniformly premixed oxides of MoO₂, TiO₂ and ZrO2 by aluminium in presence of requisite amount of carbon. The as-reduced alloy was further arc melted for consolidation. Since, TZM alloy is by nature highly susceptible to oxidation at elevated temperature in air or oxygen, therefore feasibility of development of silicide type of coating over the synthesized alloy by plasma coating technique was also examined. Silicon powder coated on TZM alloy surface by plasma spray technique was finally converted into MoSi₂ coating by sintering at 1350 ^°C for 2-4 h duration under argon. A double layer coating structure was formed with two distinct phases. The inner thin layer was consisted of Mo₂Si₅ phase (~ 10 μm) followed by thick outer layer of MoSi₂ (~ 150 μm). The coating showed good adhesion strength and stable oxidation with negligible mass gain (10 g/m²) at 1000 ^°C in air.     

电沉积结合包埋渗制备复合涂层的高温氧化行为

为了提高铌合金的高温抗氧化性能,首先采用阴极匀速旋转电沉积法在铌合金表面制备了钼层,然后通过包埋渗硅获得硅化物复合涂层。研究了沉积态钼层和硅化物涂层的形成和微观组织结构,对比分析了有或无涂层C103合金的高温氧化行为。结果表明,阴极匀速旋转法使沉积的电流效率提高一倍多,钼层呈胞状结构、以非晶形式存在。经包埋渗硅后,生成了表层以MoSi2为主、中间层为NbSi2的复合涂层,涂层与基体结合良好。经1200 ℃氧化后,涂层试样的氧化抛物线速率常数分别为1.83×10-2 mg2cm-4h-1、8.08 mg2cm-4h-1,与之相比,裸合金的氧化抛物线速率常数则为5.87×103 mg2cm-4h-1,而且仅氧化10 h裸合金即出现了严重粉化;在高温氧化过程中,复合涂层表面生成SiO2垢层,具有优良的抗高温氧化性能。     

Splat morphology and microstructure of plasma sprayed cast iron with different preheat substrate temperatures

A cast iron coating is a prime candidate for the surface modification of aluminum alloys for antiwear applications because cast iron is inexpensive and exhibits superior wear resistance arising from the self-lubricating properties of graphite. In the present study, fundamental aspects of a plasma sprayed cast iron coating on an aluminum alloy substrate, including (1) the effects of preheat substrate temperature on the splat morphology, (2) the formation of a reaction layer and pores, and (3) the splat microstructure, were investigated in low-pressure plasma spraying. With an increasing substrate temperature, the splat morphology changes from a splash type to a disk and star shape. Deformed substrate ridges mainly resulting from the slight surface melting, are recognized adjacent to the splat periphery at high substrate temperatures. The flattening ratio of disk splats decreases with substrate temperature because the ridges act as an obstacle for splat expansion. A reaction layer composed of iron, aluminum, and oxygen is ready to form at high substrate temperatures, which, along with the deformed ridges, improves the adhesive strength of splats. However, the pores appear at the splat interface at low substrate temperatures, which hinder the formation of a reaction layer. The amount of graphitized carbon increases in cast iron splats with an increase in substrate temperature.     

The effect of casting temperature on the properties of squeeze cast aluminium and zinc alloys

Gravity casting and squeeze casting were carried out on an aluminium alloy with 13.5% silicon and a zinc alloy with 4.6% aluminium with different temperatures, 660, 690 and 720 °C for the former and 440, 460 and 480 °C for the latter. A top-loading crucible furnace was used to melt the alloys. The die-preheat temperatures used were 200–220 °C for the aluminium alloy and 150–165 °C for the zinc alloy. A K-type thermocouples with digital indicator were used to measure the die surface temperature and the molten metal temperature; while a 25 t hydraulic press with a die-set containing a steel mould was used to perform the squeeze casting with a pressure of 62 MPa. Tensile, impact and density tests were carried out on the specimens. It was found that casting temperature had an effect on the mechanical properties of both gravity cast and squeeze cast aluminium and zinc alloys. The best temperatures to gravity cast the aluminium alloy and the zinc alloy were 720 and 460 °C, respectively. For the squeeze casting of the aluminium alloy, the best temperature to use was either 690 or 660 °C; the former would give a better property at the top of the casting while the latter, at the bottom of the casting. However, for the squeeze casting of the zinc alloy, the best temperature was again 460 °C.     

Effects of plasma-sprayed NiCrAl/ZrO2 intermediate on the combination ability of coatings

A NiCrAl/ZrO₂ composite coating was deposited on the surface of metal carrier FeCrAl alloy by a plasma-spray technique. After static-state oxidation at 800°C, the transitions in structure and composition of the coating was analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDX. The results showed that the surface phases of the as-sprayed coating were mainly composed of Ni and ZrO₂. When the oxidation time was extended from 8 to 50 h, NiO crystallites were formed and these grew coarse on the coating surface, and alloy elements were diffused between the NiCrAl/ZrO₂ coating and the FeCrAl substrate. With the pretreatment, an intermediate coating was prepared with a coarse and porous structure, high cohesive strength and high heat resistance. These developed properties could provide high geometric surface area for a catalytic γ-Al₂O₃ washcoat, and enhance the adhesive strength between ceramic washcoat and metal substrate so as to extend the lifetime of the washcoat.     

Influence of pre-treatments in cerium conversion treatment of AA2024-T3 and 7075-T6 alloys

The role of pre-treatment in the formation of a cerium conversion coating is investigated for the protection of AA2024-T3 and 7075-T6 alloys. The alloys were alkaline-etched and de-smutted in nitric acid, prior to cerium treatment in Ce(NO₃)₃ at 85 °C with H₂O₂ accelerator. Potentiodynamic polarization studies in 3.5% NaCl solution revealed a large shift of  300 mV of the corrosion potential below the pitting potential for the 7075-T6 alloy, which correlated with the development of a finely-textured, uniform coating. However, the formation of a uniform coating and protection was dependent upon the time of de-smutting, with non-uniform coatings resulting from extended times of de-smutting. In contrast, non-uniform coatings developed on the 2024-T3 alloy, with pitting potential at the corrosion potential, irrespective of the time of de-smutting. Findings for the 2024-T3 alloy indicate that extended de-smutting affects the enrichment of alloying elements.     

Formation of electroless Ni–B coatings using low temperature bath and evaluation of their characteristic properties

The formation of electroless Ni–B coatings obtained using a low temperature bath and evaluation of their characteristic properties are addressed in this paper. An alkaline bath having nickel chloride as the source of nickel and borohydride as the reducing agent was used to prepare the electroless Ni–B coatings. The influence of concentration of sodium borohydride in bath on the plating rate and the nickel/boron content of the resultant Ni–B coatings was studied. Selected coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively, for assessing the phase content, phase transformation behaviour and magnetic properties. XRD patterns reveal that the structure of electroless Ni–B coatings in as-plated condition is a function of the boron content of the coating: higher the boron content, greater the amorphous nature of the coating and vice-versa. DSC traces exhibit two exothermic peaks around 300 and 420 °C, corresponding to the phase transformation of crystalline nickel and Ni₃B phases at 300 °C and the transformation of a higher phase compound to Ni₃B at 420 °C. VSM studies indicate that the magnetic properties of the coating is also a function of the boron content of the coating: higher the boron content, lesser the saturation magnetization.