Effect of applied current on the electrodeposited Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings

Nano-sized Al₂O₃ ceramic particles (50 nm) were co-deposited with nickel using electrodeposition technique to develop composite coatings. The coatings were produced in an aqueous nickel bath at different current densities and the research investigated the effect of applied current on microstructure and thickness of the coatings. The variation in some mechanical properties such as hardness, wear resistance, and the adhesive strength of the composite coatings is influenced by the applied current and this was also studied. The morphology of the coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The hardness, wear resistance, and bond strength of the coatings were evaluated by Vickers micro-hardness test, pin-on-disc test, and tensile test, respectively. Results showed that the Al₂O₃ particles were uniformly distributed in the coatings, and the coatings deposited at a current density of 0.01 A/cm² was most favorable in achieving a maximum current efficiency which causes the co-deposition of a maximum amount of Al₂O₃ particles (4.3 wt.%) in the coatings. The increase in Al₂O₃ particles in the coatings increased the mechanical properties of the Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings by grain refining and dispersion strengthening mechanisms.     

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.     

Cyclic oxidation behavior and thermal barrier effect of YSZ-(Al2O3/YAG) double-layer TBCs prepared by the composite sol-gel method

Novel YSZ (6 wt.% yttria partially stabilized zirconia)-(Al₂O₃/YAG) (alumina-yttrium aluminum garnet, Y₃Al₅O₁₂) double-layer ceramic coatings were fabricated using the composite sol-gel and pressure filtration microwave sintering (PFMS) technologies. The thin Al₂O₃/YAG layer had good adherence with substrate and thick YSZ top layer, which presented the structure of micro-sized YAG particles embedded in nano-sized α-Al₂O₃ film. Cyclic oxidation tests at 1000 °C indicated that they possessed superior properties to resist oxidation of alloy and improve the spallation resistance. The thermal insulation capability tests at 1000 °C and 1100 °C indicate that the 250 μm coating had better thermal barrier effect than that of the 150 μm coating at different cooling gas rates. These beneficial effects should be mainly attributed to that, the oxidation rate of thermal grown oxides (TGO) scale is decreased by the “sealing effect” of α-Al₂O₃, the “reactive element effect”, and the reduced thermal stresses by means of nano/micro composite structure. This double-layer coating can be considered as a promising TBC.     

超音速火焰喷涂Cr3C2/NiCr涂层抗加沙空蚀性分析

采用HVOF技术在1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢基体上制备了Cr3C2/NiCr涂层,借助XRD,TEM,SEM等方法分析了涂层的组织形貌及相组成.以1Cr18Ni9Ti奥氏体不锈钢作为对比材料,用磁致伸缩空蚀仪配备扬沙装置测试了涂层在清水以及含沙水中抗空蚀性能.结果表明,涂层呈层状结构,含有未熔颗粒和少量孔隙,涂层由Cr3C2,Cr7C3,Cr23C6及NiCr等相组成;在清水试验中,1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢抗空蚀性能良好,与空蚀过程中1Cr18Ni9Ti奥氏体不锈钢产生加工硬化有直接关系;在含沙40 kg/m3试验水中,Cr3C2/NiCr涂层呈现出较好的抗空蚀性能,与涂层自身相组成以及较高硬度有关.Cr3C2/NiCr涂层破坏总是从孔隙等薄弱环节开始,而1Cr18Ni9Ti奥氏体不锈钢的破坏起始于晶界和孪晶界.     

Mechanical and tribological performance of Al2O3-TiO2 coatings elaborated by flame and plasma spraying

Mechanical properties and wear rates of Al₂O₃-13 wt.% TiO₂ (AT-13) and Al₂O₃-43 wt.% TiO₂ (AT-43) coatings obtained by flame and atmospheric plasma spraying were studied. The feed stock was either ceramic cords or powders. Results show that the wear resistance of AT-13 coatings is higher than that of AT-43 and it seems that the effect of hardness on wear resistance is more important than that of toughness. Additionally, it was established that, according to conditions used to elaborate coatings and the sliding tribological test chosen, spray processes do not seem to have an important effect on the wear resistance of these coatings.     

Microstructural characterization of plasma sprayed Al2O3-40 wt.% TiO2 coatings on high density graphite with different post-treatments

Graphite is one of the candidate materials proposed for application in pyrochemical reprocessing plants involving aggressive molten chloride environment. Post treatments are promising techniques for the improvement of properties of thermal spray coatings for different industrial applications. In the present work, the effect of post treatments like vacuum annealing (VA) and laser melting (LM) on the microstructure and chemical modification of plasma sprayed Al₂O₃-40 wt.% TiO₂ coatings over high density (HD) graphite substrates has been investigated. When compared with sprayed coatings (SC), VA coatings showed cluster morphology and LM coatings exhibited homogenous microstructure. On laser melted surfaces networks of cracks were observed. XRD studies showed that the metastable γ-Al₂O₃ phase present in the SC is transformed to stable α-Al₂O₃ after post treatments. In LM coatings Al₂TiO₅ phase was more predominant in contrast to SC and VA coatings. The microhardness enhancement was observed in case of LM coating compared to the VA and SC. Due to elimination of coating defects in LM samples, there is a considerable reduction in the surface roughness.     

Investigation on the corrosion and oxidation resistance of Ni-Al2O3 nano-composite coatings prepared by sediment co-deposition

Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared by using sediment co-deposition (SCD) technique from a Watt's type electrolyte containing nano-Al₂O₃ particles. The corrosion resistance and high temperature oxidation resistance of resulting composite coatings were investigated. It was found that the incorporation of nano-Al₂O₃ particles in Ni matrix refined the Ni crystal and changed the preferential orientation of composite coatings. Meanwhile, the corrosion and oxidation resistance were improved after the incorporation of nano-Al₂O₃ particles into Ni matrix. The nano-Al₂O₃ content in deposits plays an important role for improving the corrosion and oxidation protection. The corrosion and oxidation resistance of Ni-Al₂O₃ nano-composite coatings produced via SCD technique are superior to that of CEP technique. Compared to pure Ni and Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings fabricated using CEP technique, the Ni-7.58 wt.% Al₂O₃ composite coating obtained by SCD technique exhibits better corrosion resistance and enhanced high temperature oxidation resistance. Moreover, the mechanism of corrosion and high temperature oxidation resistance of Ni-Al₂O₃ nano-composite coatings are discussed.     

Electroless ternary Ni-W-P alloys containing micron size Al2O3 particles

In the present investigation electroless ternary NiWP-Al₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared using an electroless nickel bath. Second phase alumina particles (1 µm) were used to codeposit in the NiWP matrix. Nanocrystalline ternary NiWP alloys and composite coatings were obtained using an alkaline citrate based bath which was operated at pH 9 and temperature at 88 ± 2 °C. Mild steel was used as a substrate material and deposition was carried out for about 4 h to get a coating thickness of 25 ± 3 µm. Metallographic cross-sections were prepared to find out the coating thickness and also the uniform distribution of the aluminum oxide particles in NiWP matrix. Surface analysis carried out on both the coatings using scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that particle incorporation in ternary NiWP matrix has increased the nodularity of composite coatings compared to fine nodular NiWP deposits. Elemental analysis of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) results showed that codeposited P and W elements in plain NiWP deposit were 13 and 1.2 wt.%, respectively. There was a decrease in P content from 13 to 10 wt.% with a marginal variation in the incorporated W (1.01 wt.%) due to the codeposition of aluminum oxide particles in NiWP matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies carried out on as-plated deposits showed that both the deposits are X-ray amorphous with a grain size of around 3 nm. Phase transformation studies carried out on both the coatings showed that composite coatings exhibited better thermal stability compared to plain NiWP deposits. From the XRD studies it was found that metastable phases such as NiP and Ni₅P₂ present in the composite coatings heat treated at major exothermic peak temperature. Annealed composite coatings at various temperatures revealed higher microhardness values compared to plain NiWP deposits.     

基于磁过滤技术的热障涂层表面Al2O3 覆盖层抗CMAS腐蚀性能

为了提高热障涂层（TBC）的抗沉积物（主要成分为CaO、MgO、Al₂O₃和SiO₂,简称CMAS）腐蚀性能,采用磁过滤阴极真空电弧（FCVA）技术在TBC表面上制备了致密的Al₂O₃覆盖层,比较和分析了Al₂O₃改性TBC和沉积态TBC的润湿行为和抗CMAS腐蚀性能。结果表明：使用FCVA技术制备Al₂O₃覆盖层的过程对7%（质量分数）氧化钇稳定的氧化锆（7YSZ）相的结构无明显影响,且经Al₂O₃改性的TBC综合性能均优于沉积态TBC。在1250 ℃、CMAS腐蚀条件下,Al₂O₃覆盖层有效地限制了熔融CMAS在TBC表面上的扩散行为。同时,Al₂O₃填充了7YSZ柱状晶之间的间隔并且阻碍了熔融CMAS的渗透,证明了FCVA可作为一种制备Al₂O₃涂层的新方法以提高TBC的抗CMAS腐蚀性能,且Al₂O₃涂层及其制备过程对TBC的热震性能均无消极影响。     

The study of NiAl-TiB2 coatings prepared by electro-thermal explosion ultrahigh speed spraying technology

NiAl-TiB₂ composite coatings with 0, 10 and 20 wt.% TiB₂ were synthesized on the Ni-based superalloy substrate using electro-thermal explosion ultrahigh speed spraying technology. The microstructure analysis shows that the coatings consist of submicron grains. The bond between coatings and substrate is metallic cohesion. TiB₂ as a powerful reinforcement is doped in NiAl for increasing its hardness. The isothermal oxidation test is carried out for the composite coatings at 1100 °C in air. The result shows that the oxidation resistance of NiAl coating is higher than that of NiAl-10TiB₂ and NiAl-20TiB₂ coatings. The phases of oxides on the coatings during the process at high temperature have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results show that Al₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃ coexistence on surface of NiAl coating, while Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, TiO₂ and a small amount of NiO form on surface of NiAl-10TiB₂ and NiAl-20TiB₂ coatings after oxidation for 4 h.     

Characterisation of HVOF sprayed Cr3C2-50(Ni20Cr) coating and the influence of binder properties on solid particle erosion behaviour

The coating Cr₃C₂ with 50 wt.% Ni20Cr deposited by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray process was characterized in detail to investigate the effect of annealing on the solid particle erosion behaviour and understand the influence of the binder properties. Systematic characterization of the coating was carried out using electron microscopy (scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA)), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microindentation and nanoindentation techniques. The solid particle erosion tests were done on the as-sprayed coating and coatings annealed at 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C using silica erodent particles. The coefficient of restitution of the coated samples was also measured by WC ball impact tests to simulate dynamic impacts. The as-sprayed coating consisted of primary carbides and binder that was a mixture of amorphous and nanocrystalline phases. Annealing leads to recrystallisation of binder phase and precipitation of secondary carbides. The coating hardness and binder ductility change with annealing temperature. The erosion resistance improves with annealing up to 600 °C. In the as-sprayed coating, the amorphous phase, inter-splat boundaries and the elastic rebound characteristics affect the erosion response. While in the case of the coating annealed at 600 °C, the presence of ductile crystalline binder, fine carbide precipitates and embedment of erodent particles together improve solid particle erosion resistance.     

Thermal shock resistance of FeMnCrAl/Cr3C2-Ni9Al coatings deposited by high velocity arc spraying

FeMnCrAl/Cr₃C₂ and FeMnCrAl/Cr₃C₂-Ni9Al coatings were deposited onto low-carbon steel substrates by high velocity arc spraying. The cross-section and interface microstructures of the coatings were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM). The thermal shock resistance of the coatings was investigated. The characteristics of the coatings after the thermal cycling test were studied by OM, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersion spectrometry. The results show that laminated structures with pores, oxide phases, and unmelted particles were found on all the prepared coatings. The FeMnCrAl/Cr₃C₂ coating with a Ni9Al interlayer registered the best thermal shock resistance, which may be attributed to the interdiffusion between the low-carbon steel substrates and the Ni9Al arc-sprayed coating that converted the mechanical bond between the substrates and the coatings to a metallurgical one.     

Mechanochemical synthesis of Al2O3-TiB2 nanocomposite powder from Al-TiO2-H3BO3 mixture

Alumina-titanium diboride nanocomposite (Al₂O₃-TiB₂) was produced using mixtures of titanium dioxide, acid boric and pure aluminum as raw materials via mechanochemical process. The phase transformation and structural characterization during mechanochemical process were utilized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analyses (TG-DTA) techniques. A thermodynamic appraisal showed that the reaction between TiO₂, B₂O₃ and Al is highly exothermic and should be self-sustaining. XRD analyses exhibited that the Al₂O₃-TiB₂ nanocomposite was formed after 1.5 h milling time. The results indicate that increasing milling time up to 40 h had no significant effect other than refining the crystallite size.     

Ti6Al4V钛合金表面Al2O3颗粒改性微弧氧化涂层制备及性能

微弧氧化技术是一门新的表面处理技术,在很多领域有着广泛的应用前景,但其结构受限于电解液成分。本文通过在磷酸盐电解液中加入Al2O3陶瓷颗粒,使得在Ti6Al4V钛合金表面的微弧氧化涂层结构和性能得到改性。涂层的结构和性能通过扫描电镜和XRD衍射仪进行表征和测试,涂层的抗高温氧化性能和热震性能通过高温热循环氧化试验和热震试验进行测试。结果表明,通过在电解液中添加Al2O3陶瓷颗粒,涂层由Al2TiO5 and TiO2组成,涂层更为致密,表现出更为优异的抗高温氧化和热震性能。电解液中游动的Al2O3陶瓷颗粒在微弧氧化过程中被吸入到样品表面并进入涂层,涂层的结构和性能得到改性。     

Effects of critical plasma spray parameter and spray distance on wear resistance of Al2O3-8 wt.%TiO2 coatings plasma-sprayed with nanopowders

Effects of plasma spraying conditions on wear resistance of nanostructured Al₂O₃-8 wt.%TiO₂ coatings plasma-sprayed with nanopowders were investigated in this study. Five kinds of nanostructured coatings were plasma-sprayed on a low-carbon steel substrate by varying critical plasma spray parameter (CPSP) and spray distance. The coatings consisted of fully melted region of γ-Al₂O₃ and partially melted region, and the fraction of the partially melted regions and pores decreased with increasing CPSP or decreasing spray distance. The hardness and wear test results revealed that the hardness of the coatings increased with increasing CPSP or decreasing spray distance, and that the hardness increase generally led to the increase in wear resistance, although the hardness and wear resistance were not correlated in the coating fabricated with the low CPSP. The main wear mechanism was a delamination one in the coatings, but an abrasive wear mode also appeared in the coating fabricated with the low CPSP. According to these wear mechanisms, the improvement of wear resistance in the coating fabricated with the low CPSP could be explained because the improved resistance to fracture due to the presence of partially melted regions might compensate a deleterious effect of the hardness decrease.     

Al2O3纳米粒子环氧涂层对钢筋防护性能的电化学噪声分析

目的研究Al2O3纳米粒子环氧复合涂层对钢筋的防护性能。方法制备Al2O3纳米粒子,将其添加至环氧涂料中,并涂覆在工业钢筋表面成膜。通过XRD和SEM对Al2O3进行表征;利用电化学噪声、交流阻抗谱分析技术,对复合涂层在3.5%(质量分数)NaCl介质中对工业钢筋的防护性能进行测试分析。结果制备的氧化铝纳米粒子的粒径平均为75 nm。通过对电化学噪声测试的有效数据进行时域和频域分析,通过交流阻抗谱分析及数据拟合,认为Al2O3纳米粒子添加量为0.1%(以占环氧树脂质量的百分比计)时,涂层对钢筋的防护性能最好。结论向环氧涂层中添加适量的Al2O3纳米粒子,可以明显提升其对钢筋的防护性能。     

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.     

Effect of Feedstock Size and its Distribution on the Properties of Detonation Sprayed Coatings

The detonation spraying is one of the most promising thermal spray variants for depositing wear and corrosion resistant coatings. The ceramic (Al₂O₃), metallic (Ni-20 wt%Cr) , and cermets (WC-12 wt%Co) powders that are commercially available were separated into coarser and finer size ranges with relatively narrow size distribution by employing centrifugal air classifier. The coatings were deposited using detonation spray technique. The effect of particle size and its distribution on the coating properties were examined. The surface roughness and porosity increased with increasing powder particle size for all the coatings consistently. The feedstock size was also found to influence the phase composition of Al₂O₃ and WC-Co coatings; however does not influence the phase composition of Ni-Cr coatings. The associated phase change and %porosity of the coatings imparted considerable variation in the coating hardness, fracture toughness, and wear properties. The fine and narrow size range WC-Co coating exhibited superior wear resistance. The coarse and narrow size distribution Al₂O₃ coating exhibited better performance under abrasion and sliding wear modes however under erosion wear mode the as-received Al₂O₃ coating exhibited better performance. In the case of metallic (Ni-Cr) coatings, the coatings deposited using coarser powder exhibited marginally lower-wear rate under abrasion and sliding wear modes. However, under erosion wear mode, the coating deposited using finer particle size exhibited considerably lower-wear rate.     

自反应电弧喷涂原位合成Ti(C,N)-TiB2-Al2O3复相陶瓷涂层

以Ti+B4C为反应药芯、Al为外皮材料制备反应型喷涂丝材,探讨利用自反应电弧喷涂技术在45钢基体表面制备复相陶瓷涂层的可行性。以X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和能谱仪(EDS)等方法分析、观察了涂层的组织与结构,测试了涂层的主要力学性能。结果表明:利用制备的药芯丝材进行喷涂试验,可获得由TiB2、TiB、TiC0.3N0.7、TiN、Al2O3、AlN等多相组成的复相陶瓷涂层。涂层呈典型的层状结构,其连续的基体相内弥散分布着离散的第二、第三相。涂层与基体间的结合强度为18.9MPa,涂层的平均显微硬度与弹性模量分别为735.4HV0.2和461.4GPa,摩擦因数在0.45～0.50之间,耐磨性能较基体材料提高3倍以上。     

Role of Al2O3 layer in oxidation resistance of Cu-Al dilute alloys pre-annealed in H2 atmospheres

Copper was alloyed with small amounts of Al (0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mass%) to improve the oxidation resistance. Copper (6 N) and the Cu-Al alloys were oxidized at 773-1173 K in 0.1 MPa oxygen atmosphere after hydrogen annealing at 873 K. Continuous very thin Al₂O₃ layers were formed on the surface of all Cu-Al dilute alloys during the hydrogen annealing. Oxidation resistance of Cu-Al alloys was improved especially for Cu-2.0Al at 773-973 K, while it decreases on increasing the oxidation temperature. Cu-Al alloys followed the parabolic rate law at 1173 K, but most of other cases do not at and below 1073 K. Oxidation resistance for Cu-Al alloys was found relevant to the maintenance of the thin Al₂O₃ layer at the Cu₂O/Cu-Al alloy interface.