Tribological properties of flame sprayed Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under reciprocating sliding

Fe–Ni–RE self-fluxing alloy powders were flame sprayed onto 1045 carbon steel. The tribological properties of Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings under dry sliding against SAE52100 steel at ambient conditions were studied on an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester in a ball-on-disc contact configuration. Effects of load and sliding speed on tribological properties of the Fe–Ni–RE coatings were investigated. The worn surfaces of the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings were examined with a scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and an energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS). It was found that the Fe–Ni–RE alloy coatings had better wear resistance than the SAE52100 steel. An adhered oxide debris layer was formed on the worn surface in friction. Area of the friction layer varied with variety of sliding speed, but did not vary with load. The oxide layer contributed to decreased wear, but increased friction. Wear rate of the material increased with the load, but dramatically decreased at first and then slightly decreased the sliding speed. The friction coefficient of the material was 0.40-0.58, and decreased slightly with the load, but increased with sliding speed at first, and then tended to be a constant value. Wear mechanism of the coatings was oxidation wear and a large amount of counterpart material was transferred to the coatings.