Oxidation in wire HVOF-sprayed steel

It is widely held that most oxidation in thermally sprayed coatings occurs on the surface of the droplet after it has flattened. Evidence in this paper suggests that, for the conditions studied here, oxidation of the top surface of flattened droplets is not the dominant oxidation mechanism. In this study, a mild steel wire (AISI 1025) was sprayed using a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) torch onto copper and aluminum substrates. Ion milling and Auger spectroscopy were used to examine the distribution of oxides within individual splats. Conventional metallographic analysis was also used to study oxide distributions within coatings that were sprayed under the same conditions. An analytical model for oxidation of the exposed surface of a splat is presented. Based on literature data, the model assumes that diffusion of iron through a solid FeO layer is the rate limiting factor in forming the oxide on the top surface of a splat. An FeO layer only a few nanometers thick is predicted to form on the splat surface as it cools. However, experimental evidence shows that the oxide layers are typically 100× thicker than the predicted value. These thick oxide layers are not always observed on the top surface of a splat. Indeed, in some instances the oxide layer is on the bottom, and the metal is on the top. The observed oxide distributions are more consistently explained if most of the oxide forms before the droplets impact the substrate.     

Computational analysis of a three-dimensional high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray torch

An analysis of a high-velocity oxygen fuel thermal spray torch is presented using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three-dimensional CFD results are presented for a curved aircap used for coating interior surfaces such as engine cylinder bores. The device analyzed is similar to the Metco diamond jet rotating wire torch, but wire feed is not simulated. The feed gases are injected through an axisymmetric nozzle into the curved aircap. Argon is injected through the center of the nozzle. Premixed propylene and oxygen are introduced from an annulus in the nozzle, while cooling air is injected between the nozzle and the interior wall of the aircap. The combustion process is modeled assuming instantaneous chemistry. A standard, two-equation, k-ε turbulence model is employed for the turbulent flow field. An implicit, iterative, finite volume numerical technique is used to solve the coupled conservation of mass, momentum, and energy equations for the gas in a sequential manner. Computed flow fields inside and outside the aircap are presented and discussed.     

Study of the influence of microstructural properties on the sliding-wear behavior of HVOF and HVAF sprayed WC-cermet coatings

The microstructural properties of WC-Co-Cr and WC-Co coatings deposited by high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) processes were investigated. The tribological behavior of the coatings was studied by means of pin-on-disk tests. Microcracking of the HVOF sprayed WC-Co coatings did not allow preparation of suitable disks for wear tests. The wear rates of the remaining coatings were determined, and wear tracks on the coatings and counterbodies were investigated by SEM. The HVAF sprayed coatings showed greater sliding-wear resistance compared to the HVOF coatings. The prime wear mechanism in the WC-Co HVAF coatings was adhesive wear. The cobalt matrix is lubricious, resulting in very low wear rates and low debris generation. The main wear mechanisms in the WC-Co-Cr coatings were adhesive and abrasive wear. Adhesive wear results in coating material dislodgments (i.e., “pullouts”) that become trapped in the contact zone and act as a third-body abrasive. Particle pullout from the coating significantly increases the wear rate of the coated specimen. The HVAF/WC-Co-Cr coatings exhibited better resistance to particle pullout, resulting in a considerably lower wear rate than the HVOF/WC-Co-Cr coatings.     

HVOF coatings for heavy-wear, high-impact applications

The aircraft hookpoint used for an arrested landing is exposed to various forms of heavy wear and impact. Nowhere is this more true than training field landings, where the hookpoint is subjected to drag along a concrete runway for possibly thousands of feet while flying at high speeds and heavy downloads. After extensive screening, a series of materials were subjected to special impact tests and concrete wear tests. Ten coatings, applied by thermal spray, were selected for future arrestment testing on the basis of these results.     

Deposition and properties of high-velocity-oxygen-fuel and plasma-sprayed Mo-Mo2C composite coatings

Molybdenum thermal-spray coatings, dispersion strengthened by molybdenum oxides and molybdenum carbides, play an important role in industrial tribological applications. Traditionally, they have been prepared by plasma and wire flame spraying. High porosity and lower cohesion strength limit their application in situations where both galling and abrasion wear is involved. In this study, high-velocity-oxygen-fuel (HVOF) deposition of molybdenum and molybdenum carbide coatings was attempted. Deposition was achieved for all powders used. Composition, microstructure, mechanical, and wear properties of the HVOF synthesized coatings were evaluated and compared with plasma-sprayed counterparts. The HVOF coatings possessed a very good abrasion resistance, whereas plasma deposits performed better in dry sliding tests. Measurements showed a close relationship between the coating surface hardness and its abrasion resistance. Results also suggested correlation between molybdenum carbide distribution in the molybdenum matrix and the sliding friction response of Mo-Mo₂C coatings.     

Computational fluid dynamic modeling of gas flow characteristics in a high-velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray system

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to predict gas dynamic behavior in a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray gun in which premixed oxygen and propylene are burnt in a 12 mm combustion chamber linked to a parallel-sided nozzle. The CFD analysis is applied to investigate axisymmetric, steady-state, turbulent, compressible, and chemically combusting flow both within the gun and in a free jet region between the gun and the substrate to be coated. The combustion of oxygen and propylene is modeled using a single-step, finite-rate chemistry model that also allows for dissociation of the reaction products. Results are presented to show the effect of (1) fuel-to-oxygen gas ratio and (2) total gas flow rate on the gas dynamic behavior. Along the centerline, the maximum temperature reached is insensitive to the gas ratio but depends on the total flow. However, the value attained (∼2500 K) is significantly lower than the maximum temperature (∼3200 K) of the annular flame in the combustion chamber. By contrast, the centerline gas velocity depends on both total flow and gas ratio, the highest axial gas velocity being attained with the higher flow and most fuel-rich mixture. The gas Mach number increases through the gun and reaches a maximum value of approximately 1.6 around 5 mm downstream from the nozzle exit. The numerical calculations also show that the residual oxygen level is principally dependent on the fuel-to-oxygen ratio and decreases by approximately fivefold as the ratio is varied from 90 to 69% of the stoichiometric requirement. The CFD model is also used to investigate the effect of changes in combustion chamber size and geometry on gas dynamics, and the results are compared with the nominal 12 mm chamber baseline calculations.     

超音速火焰喷涂NiCr金属陶瓷涂层的高温硫腐蚀性能

超（超）临界机组锅炉管在硫含量较高的烟气环境中常遭受严重的高温硫酸盐及硫化腐蚀,成为锅炉安全的隐患。在2Crl3不锈钢表面利用超音速火焰喷涂（HVOF）制备了NiCr金属陶瓷涂层（1375VM和TPRI—A）,并用超音速电弧喷涂（SWAS）制备传统45CT涂层以作比较,研究了各涂层在700℃,H2—1％H2s环境中的硫...