Corrosive wear behavior of HVOF-sprayed micro-nano-structured Cr3C2–NiCr cermet coatings under aqueous media

A novel micro-nano-structured Cr₃C₂–NiCr cermet coating was prepared on 316L stainless steel by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying technology (HVOF). Cermet coatings with different contents of micro-and nano-sized Cr₃C₂ particles as the hard phase and a NiCr alloy matrix as the bonding phase were prepared and characterized in terms of porosity, microhardness, and corrosive wear resistance in a 3.5% NaCl solution and artificial seawater. Compared to nanostructured coatings, micro-nano-structured coatings avoid decarburization and reduce nanoparticle agglomeration during the spray process, and mechanical and electrochemical properties were improved in comparison with those of conventional coatings. The micro-nano-structured Cr₃C₂–NiCr coating rendered low porosity (≤0.34%) and high microhardness (≥1105.0HV_0.3). The coating comprising 50% nano-sized Cr₃C₂ grains exhibited the best corrosive wear resistance owing to its densest microstructure and highest microhardness. Furthermore, compared to static corrosion, the dynamic corrosion of the coatings led to more severe mechanical wear, because corrosion destroyed the coating surface and ions promoted corrosion to invade coatings through the pores during corrosion wear.     

A critical review of diamond like carbon coating for wear resistance applications

In recent years innovation in carbon based materials have encouraged both researchers as well as industrialists to develop materials/composites with improved tribological properties. Researchers have been fascinated to develop diamond like carbon (DLC) or carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced coatings to their good corrosion resistance, excellent wear resistance, good adhesion strength, and self -lubricious nature. The present review article is mainly focused on various techniques employed in order to process DLC/CNTs coatings as well as provide a summary of DLC/CNTs deposition on different substrates. The present study includes major types, properties and tribological behavior of carbon based materials and mechanisms involved in coating deposition. The study also discusses that deposition of DLC/CNTs coatings on the substrate materials enhances the wear, corrosion and mechanical properties of the substrate.     

Microstructural evaluation and thermal oxidation behaviors of YSZ/NiCoCrAlYTa coatings deposited by different thermal techniques

In this paper, two coating techniques, the high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and air plasma spray (APS) techniques, were used to deposit a bond coat of NiCoCrAlYTa on the Inconel 625 substrate, followed by applying a topcoat of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The samples were preoxidized in an argon-controlled furnace at a temperature of 1000 °C for 12 and 24 h to characterize the microstructure of a thermally grown oxide (TGO) using the two coating techniques. The most suitable preoxidized samples were further tested for isothermal oxidation at 1000 °C for up to 120 h, and a hot corrosion test was performed at 1000 °C for up to 52 h or until spalling occurred. As-sprayed and oxidized samples prepared with different coating techniques were evaluated in terms of their microstructure using different characterization methods, such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. In addition, the mechanical properties of these samples were evaluated using adhesion tests. The results show that the YSZ/NiCoCrAlYTa coating applied with the HVOF technique forms a more thin and continuous layer of TGO than that obtained when applying a YSZ/NiCoCrAlYTa coating using the APS technique, indicating that a severe brittle oxidation interface exists between the two layers. The results also indicate that the mechanical strength obtained from the adhesion test of the coated samples is observably affected by the oxidation behaviors obtained with the different deposition techniques chosen.     

YSZ/MoS2 self-lubricating coating fabricated by thermal spraying and hydrothermal reaction

Thermal sprayed ceramic coatings have extensively been used in components to protect them against friction and wear. However, the poor lubricating ability severely limits their application. Herein, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/MoS₂ composite coatings were successfully fabricated on steel substrate with the combination of thermal spraying technology and hydrothermal reaction. Results show that the synthetic MoS₂ powders are composed of numbers of ultra-thin sheets (about 7 ~ 8?nm), and the sheet has obvious lamellar structure. After vacuum impregnation and hydrothermal reaction, numbers of MoS₂ powders, look like flowers, generate inside the plasma sprayed YSZ coating. Moreover, the growing point of the MoS₂ flower is the intrinsic micro-pores of YSZ coating. The friction and wear tests under high vacuum environment indicate that the composite coating has an extremely long lifetime (>?100,000 cycles) and possesses a low friction coefficient less than 0.1, which is lower by about 0.15 times than that of YSZ coating. Meanwhile, the composite shows an extremely low wear rate (2.30?×?10^?7 mm³ N^?1 m^?1) and causes slight wear damage to the counterpart. The excellent lubricant and wear-resistant ability are attributed to the formation of MoS₂ transfer films and the ultra-smooth of the worn surfaces of hybrid coatings.     

Effect of ZrO2 nanoparticles addition to PEO coatings on Ti–6Al–4V substrate: Microstructural analysis,corrosion behavior and antibacterial effect of coatings in Hank's physiological solution

In this study, plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) method was employed to modify the surface of Ti–6Al–4V. Effects of different concentrations of ZrO₂ nanoparticles (0, 1, 3 and 5 g/l) into a phosphate-based electrolyte on the morphology, wettability, antibacterial and corrosion behaviors of coatings were investigated. Microstructural analyses of coatings were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive spectrometer. Also, X-ray diffraction, contact angle instrument and profilometry were respectively used to perform phase analysis, wettability, and surface roughness of the coatings. The antibacterial test was conducted with spot inoculation method on four pathogenic bacteria. Polarization and impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed in Hank's solution to investigate the corrosion behavior of coatings. The results revealed that PEO coatings without nanoparticles and by increasing the concentration of the ZrO₂ nanoparticles up to 3 g/l in the electrolyte led to a significant improvement in the antibacterial activities of gram-negative bacteria (P. aeruginosa and E. Coli). In the case of gram-positive bacteria, the PEO coated samples demonstrated improved antibacterial effects but addition of ZrO₂ nanoparticles in the PEO coatings resulted in deterioration of antibacterial effect. The sample coated with 3 g/l ZrO₂ nanoparticles showed the peak corrosion resistance compared to its counterparts.     

Ammonia borane assisted solid exfoliation of graphite fluoride for facile preparation of fluorinated graphene nanosheets

Fluorinated graphene, which combines the unique properties of graphite fluoride and graphene, has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Here, we developed a facile, efficient, and scalable method for high-yield exfoliation of graphite fluoride into fluorinated graphene (fluorographene) nanosheets. The exfoliation approach consists of solid ball milling of graphite fluoride with ammonia borane and followed washing with ethanol to get rid of ammonia borane from the products. The majority of the as-synthesized fluorographene nanosheets consist of 1–6 atomic layers with grain sizes in the range of 0.3–1 μm. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that fluorographene has the same structure as pristine graphite fluoride.     

Alloying behavior and novel properties of CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

An equiatomic CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy was synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). During MA, a solid solution with refined microstructure of 10 nm which consists of a FCC phase and a BCC phase was formed. After SPS consolidation, only one FCC phase can be detected in the HEA bulks. The as-sintered bulks exhibit high compressive strength of 1987 MPa. An interesting magnetic transition associated with the structure coarsening and phase transformation was observed during SPS process.     

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of porous polyimide/hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles composite films prepared by using polystyrene microspheres as the pore-forming template

The porous polyimide/hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PI/HMSNs) composite films were fabricated via blending polymerization by using polystyrene (PS) microspheres as the pore-forming template. The morphologies, microstructures, thermal stability, thermal expansion coefficient (TEC), and mechanical performances of the porous PI/HMSNs films were characterized in detail. Results showed that the uniform dispersion of HMSNs benefits from the strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between the hydroxyl groups of HMSNs and poly(amic acid) chains. Both weight loss and TEC of the porous PI/HMSNs films are lower than those of the pure porous PI film. When 0.8 wt % HMSNs and 7.0 wt % PS were added into the PI matrix, the Young's modulus and tensile strength of composite film increased by about 32.4% and 68.1% compared with those of the pure porous PI film. Conclusively, the introduction of HMSNs in the porous PI matrix is an important strategy to enrich the diversity of porous structure, improve the thermal and mechanical properties of the porous PI material simultaneously. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48792.     

Improving the corrosion resistance of a-C:H film by a top a-C:H:Si:O layer

During the deposition of a-C:H film, defects (pinholes or discontinuities) caused by excessive stress will inevitably appear, which will reduce the corrosion resistance of the a-C:H film. In this study, top a-C:H:Si:O layers (thickness of approximately 0.3 μm) on the surface of a-C:H films were deposited on a large scale by PACVD technology using acetylene (C₂H₂) and/or hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) as reactants, to improve the corrosion resistance of a-C:H films while ensuring the appropriate overall hardness of the films. The corrosion behaviors of the films were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization. We found that the a-C:H/a-C:H:Si:O films possess a lower electrolyte penetration rate due to their stronger capacitance characteristics. In addition, the corrosion current density of the a-C:H/a-C:H:Si:O films (10^?10 A cm^?2) were reduced by 2 orders of magnitude compared to the a-C:H film (10^?8 A cm^?2), and by 3 orders of magnitude compared to 316 stainless steel (10^?7 A cm^?2). The impedance results obtained by EIS were simulated using appropriate equivalent circuits, and the corresponding electrical parameters were used to further verify the electrochemical protection behavior of the top a-C:H:Si:O layer.     

Sn-containing Si3N4-based composites for adaptive excellent friction and wear in a wide temperature range

Ceramic design based on reducing friction and wear-related failures in moving mechanical systems has gained tremendous attention due to increased demands for durability, reliability and energy conservation. However, only few materials can meet these requirements at high temperatures. Here, we designed and prepared a Sn-containing Si₃N₄-based composite, which displayed excellent tribological properties at high temperatures. The results showed that the friction coefficient and wear rate of the composites were reduced to 0.27 and 4.88 × 10^?6 mm³ N^?1 m^?1 in air at 800 °C. The wear mechanism of the sliding pairs at different temperatures was revealed via detailed analyses of the worn surfaces. In addition, the tribo-driven graphitization was detected on the wear surfaces and in the wear debris, and the carbon phase was identified by SEM, TEM, and Raman spectrum.