Plasma-sprayed wear-resistant ceramic and cermet coating materials

Some wear-resistant ceramic and cermet coatings, such as Al₂O₃, TiO₂, Al₂O₃-TiO₂, Cr₂O₃, Cr₃C₂-NiCr and cobalt-cladded WC, were prepared by the arc plasma spraying technique. In this paper optimized spraying parameters of various coatings are briefly described. Some physical properties of these coatings materials were measured. Wear tracks and damage forms were studied by microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Wear damage mechanisms of these coatings are discussed together with the relationship between wear damage of the coatings and their microstructure, physical properties and especially their thermal diffusivity. The higher the thermal diffusivity of a coating, the better is its wear resistance. The wear resistance of coatings has no obvious relationship with many other physical properties. The pore size, shape and distribution as well as the crack texture in the coatings have important bearings on their wear resistance. Approaches to improve wear-resistant coatings are presented.     

Plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coating: effect of different calcium phosphate ceramics

Three kinds of calcium phosphate ceramic powders, namely commercial hydroxyapatite (CHA), self-made hydroxyapatite (SMHA) and synthesized hydroxyapatite (SHA), are employed as starting materials for plasma-sprayed coating onto a stainless steel (316L) substrate. Results show a mixture of hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and tetracalcium phosphate (TeCP) phases appearing in the CHA and SHA-derived coatings and a primary of a HA with trace contents of tricalcium phosphate phases resulting in the SMHA-derived coating. The HA appears to be the only observable crystalline phase present in the SMHA-derived coating after 7 days of incubation with a simulated body fluid (SBF); however, part of the impurities, i.e. TCP and TeCP, remain in the other coatings. No apparent microcracks can be found on the coated surfaces when SMHA and SHA are used. The poor packing density of SHA reflects its weakness in bonding strength to the substrate surface compared with that obtained using CHA and SMHA powders. The surface morphology of the coatings was found to alter significantly after a sufficient period of incubation.     

Plasma-sprayed hydroxylapatite coating on carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite materials

Plasma-spraying of metallic impiant surfaces is an established method for the application of hydroxylapatite (HA) coatings. Carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics show different thermal and mechanical properties, compared with titanium substrates. In this paper first results of the influence of the established coating method on carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics are presented. First investigations of the tensile adhesion strength, tested with a newly developed testing device, showed that the adhesion between the HA coating and the carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite is very low. Macromechanical bending tests showed a change to initial tensile instead of compression failure of the coated composite substrate. Micromechanical bending tests in a scanning electron microseope (SEM) hot tensile stage (Raith GmbH) revealed crack propagation within the ceramic coating and in the coating-substrate interface before the total failure of the composite substrate occurred.     

含铝高温涂料的研制

以W 30 - 1为主成膜物 ,铝粉为颜料 ,无机硅酸盐为填料的涂层耐高温性能优异 ,无机填料的加入提高了涂膜的耐介质性且不影响产品的外观特征。固化剂的使用解决了漆膜修补及在大型设备上推广应用的限制 ,同时提高了涂料的内在品质     

Plasma-sprayed zirconia bond coat as an intermediate layer for hydroxyapatite coating on titanium alloy substrate

This study aims to strengthen the bonding at HA coating/Ti–6Al–4V interface by adding an intermediate ZrO₂ bond coat between them. The bonding strength of the HA/ZrO₂ coating was evaluated with the separately prepared HA coating as control. The phase, microstructure and chemistry, and surface roughness of the plasma-sprayed two-layer HA/ZrO₂ coating on Ti–6A1–4V substrate were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and surfcorder, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the bonding strength increases from 28.6±3.22 MPa for HA coating to 36.2±3.02 MPa for HA/ZrO₂ composite coating. Elemental analysis employed on the surface of ZrO₂ bond coat, on which the HA top coat was first dissolved completely in HCl acid, reveals the sign of diffusion of calcium ions from HA to ZrO₂ bond coat. In addition, rougher surface morphology provided by ZrO₂ bond coat is also considered to aid in the bonding at HA/ZrO₂ interface. Similar coating system done by other researchers is compared and discussed.     

Sustainable betalain pigments as eco-friendly film coating over aluminium surface

Sustainable betalain pigments extracted from beetroots were used as eco-friendly film coating over aluminium surface. The film coating was examined and verified by corrosive 1.0 M HCl solution. Characterization of chemical structure of the betalain pigments was done using spectroscopic attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and UV–Vis technique. Scanning electron microscope technique was used to demonstrate the eco-friendly film coating before and after been examined via corrosive 1.0 M HCl solution. Various operating conditions were studied to meet highest inhibition efficiency values such as betalain concentration, operating temperature and turbulent flow, and maximum inhibition efficiency?=?98.4% was displayed. Multiple adsorption isotherms like Langmuir, Temkin, and Freundlich were used effectively to determine equilibrium constants and adsorption parameters. Dynamic investigations revealed a decline of rate of corrosion (R_C) and rise of activation energy values (E_a) at higher betalain concentrations. Thermodynamic investigations revealed physisorption process, exothermic enthalpy, and low entropic values of betalain on aluminium surface. The noticeable specifications of low cost, abundance and sustainability, environmentally friendly, and high technical feasibility of betalain pigments adapt them to be the futuristic outstanding sustainable film coating for metal surfaces.

Graphical abstract

     

Effect of ZnO coating of whiskers on thermal expansion properties of aluminium borate whisker reinforced aluminium composites

Abstract

The pure aluminium composites reinforced by ZnO coated aluminium borate whiskers were fabricated by squeeze casting. The microstructure of the composite was observed using an optical microscope and the thermal expansion behaviours of the composites were investigated in the range from 50 to 400°C. In addition, the effects of heat treatment and thermal cycling on the thermal expansion behaviours of the composite were also investigated. The results show that the coefficient of thermal expansion of as cast composites decreases with the ZnO coating content increasing. However, heat treatment time and thermal cycling lead to an increase in the CTE of the composite.     

Characterisation of surface preparation of 2024 aluminium alloy for conversion coating

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical potentiodynamic experiments have been used to study the pretreatment of 2024–T3 aluminium alloy before conversion coating. The pretreatment process included vapour degreasing, alkaline cleaning and Cr based acidic deoxidising steps. This type of pretreatment is appropriate for conversion coatings which meet aerospace standards for corrosion resistance and paint adhesion. During alkaline cleaning an oxide containing Mg, Zn, Si, and Fe developed on the surface of the alloy. During deoxidation there was dissolution and etching of both the intermetallics and the basic oxide scale left after the alkaline cleaning. Characterisation by XPS indicated that the surface was coated with a thin Cr containing coating after deoxidation which provided a degree of passivation to the surface as determined by electrochemical measurements.

MST/3372     

Bone response to a titanium aluminium nitride coating on metallic implants

The design, surface characteristics and strength of metallic implants are dependant on their intended use and clinical application. Surface modifications of materials may enable reduction of the time taken for osseointegration and improve the biological response of bio-mechanically favourable metals and alloys. The influence of a titanium aluminium nitride (TAN) coating on the response of bone to commercially pure titanium and austenitic 18/8 stainless steel wire is reported. TAN coated and plain rods of stainless steel and commercially pure titanium were implanted into the mid-shaft of the femur of Wistar rats. The femurs were harvested at four weeks and processed for scanning electron and light microscopy. All implants exhibited a favourable response in bone with no evidence of fibrous encapsulation. There was no significant difference in the amount of new bone formed around the different rods (osseoconduction), however, there was a greater degree of shrinkage separation of bone from the coated rods than from the plain rods (p = 0.017 stainless steel and p = 0.0085 titanium). TAN coating may result in reduced osseointegration between bone and implant.     

A new corrosion protection coating system for pressure-cast aluminium automotive parts

A simple to employ corrosion protecting coating based on sol-gel derived new nanocomposites for Al alloys has been developed. This composite coating reacts to the Al surface by formation of a thermodynamically stabilized interface. Moreover, for pressure cast Al, the coating process can be used for sealing the pores at the same time.     

Microstructure and properties of laser clad high-entropy alloy coating on aluminium

An AlCrFeNiCuCo high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating was synthesised on an aluminium substrate by laser cladding. Samples were characterised using an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, a microhardness tester, and an electrochemical workstation. The results showed that the interface between the cladding layer and matrix was sound, while the HEA coating consisted of BCC and FCC solid solutions and an Al-rich phase resulting from substrate dilution. The microstructure of the clad layer comprised both columnar and equiaxed grains. The average microhardness of the coating was 550 HV_0.2, and it exhibited better corrosion resistance than the aluminium matrix in a 1?mol?L^?1 H₂SO₄ solution. The typical corrosion characteristic of the coating was pitting and localised corrosion.     

Scratch and wear resistance of nano-silica-modified silicate conversion coating on aluminium

The silicate conversion coating was modified with nano-silica and applied on the surface of AA2024 by dip-coating technique. The mechanical properties of produced modified silicate layer were investigated by the pencil scratch hardness, cross-cut and abrasion resistance tests. The characterisation of coated surface before and after the tests was studied with optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Addition of nano-silica to the silicate coating caused an enhancement in the SiO₂:K₂O ratio. The results showed that the homogeneity of coating surfaces increased in the presence of nano-silica. The wear and scratch resistance of the modified silicate layer improved against the sliding conditions. In addition, the adhesion of coating layer to the substrate metal increased.     

Copper coating on carbon fibres and their composites with aluminium matrix

A uniform and continuous coating of copper was given to carbon fibres by cementation or electroless techniques. In both cases, when coating thicknesses were less than 0.2 m, copper deposition was discontinuous over the fibres, and above 0.2 m, coatings were continuous. In electroless coating, about 75% of the continuously coated fibres had a coating thickness range 0.2–0.5 m and above this showed isolated dendrite deposits of copper. In the cementation process, about 75% of the continuously coated fibres had a coating thickness range 0.2–0.6 m, and above this thickness, fine crystallite-type copper deposition was found over smoothly coated copper. The ultimate tensile strength of continuously electroless-coated fibres were nearer to the uncoated fibres, suggesting defect-free coating, while fibres coated by the cementation process exhibited lower ultimate tensile strength values. The tensile fracture of both electroless- and cementation-coated fibres showed delamination of the coating, suggesting poor bonding between coating and the fibre. In composites, prepared by dispersing the coated chopped fibres in a pure aluminium matrix, uniform and random distribution of the fibres were observed without appreciable fibre-metal interaction. The CuAl₂ intermetallics were largely found in the matrix and only very small amounts were observed at fibre/matrix interfaces. Additions of about 2 wt% Mg to the matrix prior to the fibre dispersion did not appreciably change the distribution pattern of the fibres, but in addition to CuAl₂ phase, Mg₂Si phases were observed in the matrix as well as at the interface.     

Plasma-sprayed coatings for fusion reactor applications

A series of plasma-sprayed coatings has been given a preliminary evaluation to assess the potential of this class of materials in fusion reactor applications. TiC, TiB₂, beryllium and VBe₁₂ coatings on copper and stainless steel (SS) were tested for coating adherence, ion erosion resistance and susceptibility to arc erosion. The coatings, in general, display a good resistance to thermal shock failure. The TiC and TiB₂ coatings exhibit favorable ion erosion characteristics and the resistance of the coatings to arc erosion was, in general, superior to that of SS.     

Plasma-sprayed cordierite: structure and transformations

Powdered cordierite (fused and mechanically reduced) feedstock was plasma-sprayed onto a steel substrate and subsequently removed. The substrate-free deposit was thermally cycled and investigated using differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The deposit as sprayed is amorphous, with crystallization to -cordierite occurring at ca. 830° C, followed by a transition to high-cordierite at ca. 1000° C. The transition temperature is influenced by the heating rate and the geometry of the sample. Isothermal kinetic studies of crystallization were carried out, with the growth of the crystalline phase being described by a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. The activation energies were obtained from the differential thermal analysis.     

The properties of aluminium coating on sintered NdFeB by DC magnetron sputtering

Pure aluminium coating was deposited on sintered NdFeB magnets by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering to improve the corrosion resistance. The corrosion behaviour of sintered NdFeB coated with aluminium was characterized by potentiodynamic polarization measurement. The adhesive strength between the aluminium coating and the sintered NdFeB was characterised by vertical tensile test and high-low temperature shock test. The influence of the coating on the magnetic properties of the sintered NdFeB was also characterised. It was found that the aluminium coating can improve the corrosion resistance of the sintered NdFeB evidently. The aluminium coating was well adhesive with the substrate and did not deteriorate the magnetic properties of the sintered NdFeB magnets. These two characters may overcome the disadvantages of NiCuNi coating which is usually electroplated on NdFeB in industry.