Effects of Boron Carbide Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed NiCoCrAlY/Al2O3-B4C Composite Coatings

NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃ and NiCoCrAlY/B₄C composite powders were prepared with hydrogen reduction and solid state alloying process. NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coatings with different contents of B₄C were prepared by atmospheric plasma spray technology. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and tribological properties of the composite coatings with different B₄C contents were systematically investigated. The results show that the microhardness of the composite coatings increases, while the tensile strength of the composite coatings decreases, with the increase of B₄C contents. The wear volume of the composite coatings decreases from room temperature to 800 °C with the increase of B₄C contents. Abrasion wear is the main wear mechanism of the NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coating from room temperature to 800 °C.     

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Microhardness of Nanostructural Al2O3 Coatings

Nanostructural Al₂O₃ coatings were formed on a steel substrate surface using a multichamber detonation sprayer. The Al₂O₃ coatings were characterized by a dense microstructure with porosity below 1% and hardness of 1300 ± 25 HV_0.3. The transition layer between the coating and substrate was up to 15 μm thick, containing Fe-Al-type intermetallic compounds (FeAl₃, Fe₂Al₅). Postdeposition heat treatment of the samples at 850 °C for 3 h was carried out in air and argon environments. The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and microhardness of the Al₂O₃ coatings was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, x-ray phase analysis, and Vickers hardness testing. A positive impact of postcoating heat treatment on the coating microstructure and microhardness was observed. Heat treatment resulted in an increase in the coating hardness from 1300, to 1350 ± 25 HV_0.3 and 1600 ± 25 HV_0.3 after annealing in air and argon, respectively. Heat treatment in argon led to a more significant increase in the α-Al₂O₃ phase from 47 to 81%.     

Engineering HVOF-Sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr Coatings: The Effect of Particle Morphology and Spraying Parameters on the Microstructure, Properties, and High Temperature Wear Performance

Chromium carbide-based thermally sprayed coatings are widely used for high temperature wear applications (typical temperature range from 540 to 900 °C). In these extreme environments at those temperatures, several phenomena will degrade, oxidize, and change the microstructure of the coatings, thereby affecting their wear behavior. Although it can be easily conceived that the Cr₃C₂-NiCr coating microstructure evolution after high temperature exposure will depend on the as-sprayed microstructure and spraying parameters, very little has been done in this regard. This study intends to develop a better understanding of the effect of spraying parameters on the resulting chromium carbide coating microstructure after high temperature operation and high temperature sliding wear properties. The microstructures of different coatings produced from two morphologies of Cr₃C₂-NiCr powders and under a window of in-flight particle temperature and velocity values were characterized through x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Sliding wear at 800 °C was performed and the wear behavior correlated with the spraying parameters and coating microstructure. Vickers microhardness (300 gf) of the coatings before and after sliding wear was also measured.     

The Influence of Temperature on Frictional Behavior of Plasma-Sprayed NiAl-Cr2O3 Based Self-Adaptive Nanocomposite Coatings

Frictional behavior of nano and hybrid-structured NiAl-Cr₂O₃-Ag-CNT-WS₂ adaptive self-lubricant coatings was evaluated at a range of temperatures, from room temperature to 700 °C. For this purpose, hybrid structured (HS) and nanostructured (NS) composite powders with the same nominal compositions were prepared by spray drying and heat treatment techniques. A series of HS and NS coating samples were deposited on steel substrate by an atmospheric plasma spraying process. The tribological behavior of both coatings was studied from room temperature to 700 °C at 100° intervals using a custom designed high temperature wear test machine. Scanning electron microscopy was employed for the evaluation of the composite coatings and worn surfaces. Experimental results indicated that the hybrid coating had inferior tribological properties when compared to the nanostructured coating, showing the attractive frictional behavior on the basis of low friction and high wear resistance; the NS coating possessed a more stable friction coefficient in the temperature range of 25-700 °C against alumina counterface. Microstructural examinations revealed more uniformity in NS plasma-sprayed coatings.     

Effects of Plasma-spraying Powers on Microstructure and Microhardness of In-Situ Nanostructured FeAl2O4 Composite Coatings

In-situ nanostructured FeAl₂O₄ composite coatings were prepared using plasma spraying of Al/Fe₂O₃ composite powders applying different spraying powers. The effects of plasma-spraying powers on microstructure and property of FeAl₂O₄ composite coatings were investigated. The results indicated the composite coatings had the microstructure with thin lamellar splats rich in FeAl₂O₄ as matrix, and dispersed granules rich in Fe and thin lamellar splats rich in Al₂O₃ as second phases. The reaction degree of Al/Fe₂O₃ composite powders increased while applying spraying power of 25-30 kW and then decreased while applying spraying power of 30-40 kW, which first resulted in the increase and then in the decrease of the Al₂O₃ content. The coating prepared by applying spraying power of 30 kW had the maximum microhardness, which was attributed to the maximum Al₂O₃ content present in the coating and the most uniform microstructure of the coating.     

Characterization of Microstructure and Wear Resistance of PEO Coatings Containing Various Microparticles on Ti6Al4V Alloy

Titania-based composite coatings were prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) treatment of Ti6Al4V alloy in electrolyte with α-Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃ or h-BN microparticles in suspension. The microstructure, composition of PEO composite coatings were analyzed by SEM, EDS and XRD. The wear resistance of composite ceramic coatings was studied by ball-on-disk wear test at ambient temperature and 300 °C. The results showed that the addition of microparticles accelerated the growth rate of PEO coating and changed the microstructure and composition of PEO coating. PEO coating was porous and mainly composed of rutile-TiO₂, anatase-TiO₂ and Al₂TiO₅. PEO/α-Al₂O₃ (Cr₂O₃ or h-BN) composite coating only had small micropores and appeared some α-Al₂O₃ (Cr₂O₃ or h-BN) phase. Besides, the addition of α-Al₂O₃ (Cr₂O₃ or h-BN) microparticles greatly improved the wear resistance of PEO coating. At ambient temperature, abrasive wear dominated the wear behavior of PEO coating, but abrasive wear and adhesive peel simultaneously happened at 300 °C. Whether at ambient temperature or 300 °C, PEO composite coating had better wear resistance than PEO coating. Besides, PEO/h-BN composite coating outperformed other composite coatings regardless of the temperature.     

Effect of Phase Transformation Mechanism on the Microstructure of Cold-sprayed Ni/Al-Al2O3 Composite Coatings during Post-spray Annealing Treatment

NiAl-Al₂O₃ intermetallic-based composite coatings were prepared by cold spraying of Ni/Al-Al₂O₃ composite powders followed by post-spray annealing treatment. The phase transformation mechanism from Ni/Al mechanical alloy to intermetallic compounds and its influence on the microstructure were examined to aim at controlling the coating microstructure. Results show that with the porous Ni/Al and Ni/Al-Al₂O₃ green compacts, a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reaction is ignited at a temperature of 500-600 °C. However, a SHS reaction could not be ignited for the cold-sprayed dense Ni/Al and Ni/Al-Al₂O₃ alloy coatings with or without a substrate. The phase transformation from Ni/Al mechanical alloy to NiAl intermetallic compound during post-spray annealing evidently can be attributed to a diffusion mechanism. Compared to the quite porous structure of the composites resulting from SHS, the composite coatings via diffusion phase transformation during post-spray annealing treatment present a relatively dense microstructure with neither large pores nor micro-sized cracks.     

Tribological behavior and mechanism of NiCrBSi–Y2O3 composite coatings

The NiCrBSi–Y₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared on the surface of 45 carbon steel by plasma spray, the microstructure and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the NiCrBSi–Y₂O₃ composite coatings are mainly composed of γ-Ni, CrB, Cr₇C₃ and Y₂O₃. With addition of Y₂O₃, hard phases such as CrB, Cr₇C₃ emerge in composite coating, and the density of the composite coatings also increases. The NiCrBSi–0.5Y₂O₃ composite coating presents excellent tribological properties. Its friction coefficient is 0.175, which is about 37% of that of the pure NiCrBSi coating. The mass wear loss is 1.2 mg, which is reduced by 43% compared with the pure NiCrBSi coating. When the loads are 6–10 N, the NiCrBSi–0.5Y₂O₃ composite coating suffers from slight wear and the wear mechanisms are mainly adhesive wear accompany with slight micro-cutting wear and micro-fracture wear. As the load increases to 12 N, the wear mechanisms are adhesive wear and severe micro-cutting wear.     

Cold-Sprayed Ni-Al2O3 Coatings for Applications in Power Generation Industry

Cermets coatings are extensively used in energy applications both because of their high wear resistance as required, for example, in components like gas turbine sealants, and because of their specific functionality as required in solar absorbers. So far, high-temperature thermal spraying and physical vapor deposition have traditionally been used to deposit this kind of coatings. In this study, Ni-Al₂O₃ coatings have been deposited using a Kinetic^®3000 cold-spray system starting from Ni and Al₂O₃ powders blend; five blends have been prepared setting the alumina content in the feedstock to 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90 wt.%. The embedded alumina ranges between a few percent weight up to 16 and 31 wt.%, while the microhardness shows a deep increase from 175 Vickers in the case of pure Ni coatings up to 338 Vickers. The spray and coating growth mechanism have been discussed, with special attention to the fragmentation of the ceramic particles during the impact. Finally, the coating behavior at high temperature was analyzed by oxidation tests performed in air at 520 °C emphasizing a good oxidation resistance that could represent a very promising basis for application in power generation systems.     

Influence of Pulse Electrodeposition and Heat Treatment on Microstructure,Tribological, and Corrosion Behavior of Nano-Grain Size Co-W Coatings

In the present study, Co-W nano-structured alloy coatings are produced on low-carbon steel substrate by means of pulse electrodeposition from a citrate-based bath under different average current densities and duty cycles. The results indicate that the coating deposited under 60% of duty cycle and 1 A/dm² of average current density exhibit optimum pulse plating conditions with 44.38 wt.% W, 37 nm grain size, and 758 HV microhardness. The effect of heat treatment temperature on microstructure, composition, corrosion behavior, and morphology of amorphous deposited Co-W alloy with 44 wt.% W was investigated. The microhardness of the coating increased to 1052 HV after heat treatment at 600 °C, which is due to the formation of Co₃W and CoWO₄ phases in the deposit. Furthermore, the coatings heat-treated at 600 °C had lower friction coefficients and better wear resistance under various loads than before heating.     

Preparation and elevated temperature wear behavior of Ni doped WC-Al2O3 composite

With the more serious service environment, the new WC-Al₂O₃ as coatings are required to apply in high-temperature wear condition. Owing to the severe deterioration of WC-Al₂O₃ material in >500 °C, WC-Al₂O₃ composites with different content of Ni were prepared using vacuum hot-pressing sintering technology with the aim of improving its elevated temperature wear behavior. Wear experiments of WC-Al₂O₃-x%Ni against YG6 ball (WC-6Co) were conducted at 600 °C using a commercially made high-temperature ball-on-disk tribometer. The mechanical properties and oxidation wear behavior of Ni doped WC-Al₂O₃ composites were investigated. The phase and morphology of the sample surfaces were analyzed by XRD, EDS and SEM. The results show that the addition of Ni inhibited the decarburization of WC and ensured high mechanical properties. At elevated temperature, wear loss increased with loading. Without load, the mass loss decreased with the increase of Ni content. The minimum loss of WC-Al₂O₃ composite with 10%Ni is 3.1 mg, decreased by 72.7%. When the load increased to 15 N, the mass loss of WC-Al₂O₃ composite with 5%Ni is the minimum of 54.8 mg, decreased by 38.2%. On the whole, the addition of Ni is conducive to improving the resistance to oxidation wear. The wear mechanisms were dominated by oxidation wear and spalling of the tribolayer.     

Microstructure and properties of WC reinforced Ni-based composite coatings with Y2O3 addition on titanium alloy by laser cladding

ABSTRACT

In this study, WC reinforced Ni-based composite coatings with Y₂O₃ addition were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V titanium substrate by laser cladding. The phases, microstructure, microhardness and wear resistance of the composite coatings were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, microhardness tester and wear tester. The results showed that good metallurgical bonding was achieved between the composite coatings and substrate. The phases mainly were γ-Ni, TiC, TiB₂, Ni₃B, M₂₃C₆ and WC. Most of the WC was dissolved in small pieces of WC during the laser cladding process. The microhardness of the composite coatings was about 3 times that of the titanium substrate and the wear resistance of the composite coatings had a significant increase.     

Corrosion Resistance of APS- and HVOF-Sprayed Coatings in the Al2O3-TiO2 System

In this article, the results of corrosion investigations performed on thermally sprayed ceramic coatings with different compositions in the Al₂O₃-TiO₂ system (Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃-3%TiO₂, Al₂O₃-40%TiO₂, and TiO _x ) are presented. The coatings were deposited on corrosion-resistant steel substrates using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying processes and characterized by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion properties were investigated in 1 N solutions of NaOH and H₂SO₄, at room temperature, 60 °C, and 85 °C, as well as in hydrothermal conditions with deionized water at 100 °C and 200 °C. The corrosion stability of the coatings depended on coating characteristics (spraying method, microstructure, and crystalline phase composition) and the corrosive environment (media, test temperature, and duration). In contrast to expectations, APS-sprayed coatings were found to be more corrosion-resistant than the HVOF-sprayed coatings. Addition of TiO₂ to Al₂O₃ increased the corrosion stability, especially for the HVOF-sprayed coatings. In this work, TiO _x coatings were found to be more corrosion-resistant than the Al₂O₃-based coatings.     

Deposition of Al2O3-TiO2 Nanostructured Powders by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying

Al₂O₃-13%TiO₂ coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrates from conventional and nanostructured powders using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). A complete characterization of the feedstock confirmed its nanostructured nature. Coating microstructures and phase compositions were characterized using SEM, TEM, and XRD techniques. The microstructure comprised two clearly differentiated regions. One region, completely fused, consisted mainly of nanometer-sized grains of γ-Al₂O₃ with dissolved Ti⁺⁴. The other region, partly fused, retained the microstructure of the starting powder and was principally made up of submicrometer-sized grains of α-Al₂O₃, as confirmed by TEM. Coating microhardness as well as tribological behavior were determined. Vickers microhardness values of conventional coatings were in average slightly lower than the values for nanostructured coating. The wear resistance of conventional coatings was shown to be lower than that of nanostructured coatings as a consequence of Ti segregation. A correlation between the final properties, the coating microstructure, and the feedstock characteristics is given.     

Influence of Rare Earth on the High-Temperature Sliding Wear Behavior of WC-12Co Coating Prepared by HVOF Spraying

In this work, WC-12Co coatings were prepared by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying (HVOF) technology. The high-temperature sliding wear tests at 450, 550 and 650 °C were conducted on a pin-on-disk tribometer, and effects of CeO₂ on the high-temperature wear behavior were investigated. The results showed that CeO₂-modified WC-12Co coating possessed better sliding wear resistance than that of conventional WC-12Co coating at the tested temperatures. The maximum microhardness value of 1333 ± 25HV_0.5 was available at the temperature of 550 °C for CeO₂-modified WC-12Co coating worn track. The oxides formed on the worn surface played a significant role on the wear behavior. W₂C, Co₃O₄ and ratio of CoWO₄/WO₃ dominated the wear behavior of the coating at 450, 550 and 650 °C, respectively.     

Elevated Temperature Solid Particle Erosion Performance of Plasma-Sprayed Co-based Composite Coatings with Additions of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

In this paper, investigation into solid particle erosion behavior of atmospheric plasma-sprayed composite coating of CoCrAlY reinforced with Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ oxides on Superni 76 at elevated temperature of 600 °C is presented. Alumina particles are used as erodent at two impact angles of 30° and 90°. The microstructure, porosity, hardness, toughness and adhesion properties of the as-sprayed coatings are studied. The effects of temperature and phase transformation in the coatings during erosion process are analyzed using XRD and EDS techniques. Optical profilometer is used for accurate elucidation of erosion volume loss. CoCrAlY/CeO₂ coating showed better erosion resistance with a volume loss of about 50% of what was observed in case of CoCrAlY/Al₂O₃/YSZ coating. Lower erosion loss is observed at 90° as compared to 30° impact angle. The erosion mechanism evaluated using SEM micrograph revealed that the coatings experienced ductile fracture exhibiting severe deformation with unusual oxide cracks. Reinforced metal oxides provide shielding effect for erodent impact, enabling better erosion resistance. The oxidation of the coating due to high-temperature exposure reforms erosion process into oxidation-modified erosion process.     

Effect of Surface Roughness and Structure Features on Tribological Properties of Electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Ni and Ni/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Coatings

Metal matrix composite coatings obtained by electrodeposition are one of the ways of improving the surfaces of materials to enhance their durability and properties required in different applications. This paper presents an analysis of the surface topography, microstructure and properties (residual stresses, microhardness, wear resistance) of Ni/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite coatings electrodeposited on steel substrates from modified Watt’s-type baths containing various concentrations of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles and a saccharin additive. The residual stresses measured in the Ni/Al₂O₃ coatings decreased with an increasing amount of the co-deposited ceramics. It was established that the addition of Al₂O₃ powder significantly improved the coatings’ microhardness. The wear mechanism changed from adhesive-abrasive to abrasive with a rising amount of Al₂O₃ particles and coating microhardness. Nanocomposite coatings also exhibited a lower coefficient of friction than that of a pure Ni-electrodeposited coating. The friction was found to depend on the surface roughness, and the smoother surfaces gave lower friction coefficients.     

Preparation of nanostructured Ni/Al2O3 composite coatings in high magnetic field

Ni/Al₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared by a novel method from a modified Watt's type electrolyte containing nano-Al₂O₃ particles, where a high magnetic field was imposed in the direction parallel to an electrolytic current instead of mechanical agitation. Effects of magnetic field on the content of particles, surface morphology, microhardness and wear resistance of plating layer were investigated. It was found that the high magnetic field played an important role in the formation of composite coatings. The amounts of nano-Al₂O₃ particles in the composite coating increased with increasing of magnetic flux density and reached a maximum value at 8 T, then reduced slightly. The microhardness and wear resistance of the nanocomposite coatings also enhanced with increasing of magnetic flux density as compared to that of pure Ni coating fabricated in the absence of magnetic field. That was because the co-deposited nano-Al₂O₃ particles were uniformly distributed in the Ni matrix and contributed to greatly increase the microhardness and wear resistance of the composite coatings. Moreover, the mechanism of action of high magnetic field was discussed preliminarily.     

Effect of Submicron and Nano SiC Particles on Erosion Wear and Scratch Behavior of Plasma-Sprayed Al2O3/8YSZ Coatings

This paper reports studies into the effect of submicron and nano SiC particles on microstructure, phase composition, hardness, erosion wear, and scratch behavior of Al₂O₃-20wt.%8YSZ (ZrO₂ + 8 wt.% Y₂O₃) coatings fabricated by atmospheric plasma spraying. The failure mode of erosion wear and scratch for coatings was established and analyzed. The hardness, density, erosion wear, and anti-scratch resistance of coatings fabricated from plasma treating feedstocks were higher than that of coatings made from sintering feedstocks. The erosion wear rate of coatings with SiC was evidently decreased, and there was some small debris on worn surface with characteristic of translamellar fracture. The spallation, fracture, plough, and cracking were main failure mechanism for coatings. In the scratch process, the critical load of coating with SiC was increased. The crack growth resistance of coatings was analyzed from crack length at end of scratch test.     

Y2O3 and Yb2O3 Co-doped Strontium Hafnate as a New Thermal Barrier Coating Material

Y₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃ co-doped strontium hafnate powder with chemistry of Sr(Hf_0.9Y_0.05Yb_0.05)O_2.95 (SHYY) was synthesized by a solid-state reaction at 1450 °C. The SHYY showed good phase stability not only from 200 to 1400 °C but also at a high temperature of 1450 °C for a long period, analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffraction, respectively. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the sintered bulk SHYY was recorded by a high-temperature dilatometer and revealed a positive influence on phase transitions of SrHfO₃ by co-doping with Y₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃. The thermal conductivity of the bulk SHYY was approximately 16% lower in contrast to that of SrHfO₃ at 1000 °C. Good chemical compatibility was observed for SHYY with 8YSZ or Al₂O₃ powders after a 24 h heat treatment at 1250 °C. The phase stability and the microstructure evolution of the as-sprayed SHYY coating during annealing at 1400 °C were also investigated.