| Abstract: | Fe-based coatings reinforced by spherical WC particles were produced on the 304 stainless steel by plasma transferred arc(PTA) to enhance the surface wear properties. Three different Fe/WC composite powder mixtures containing 0 wt%, 30 wt%, and 60 wt% of WC were investigated. The microstructure and phase composition of the Fe/WC composite PTA coatings were evaluated systemically by using scanning electron microscope(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The wear properties of the three fabricated PTA coatings were investigated on a BRUKER UMT TriboLab. The morphologies of the worn tracks and wear debris were characterized by using SEM and 3 D non-contract profiler. The experimental results reveal that the microhardness on the cross-section and the wear resistance of the fabricated coatings increase dramatically with the increasing adding WC contents. The coating containing 60 wt% of WC possesses excellent wear resistance validated by the lower coefficients of friction(COF), narrower and shallower wear tracks and smaller wear rate. In the pure Fe-based coating, the main wear mechanism is the combination of adhesion and oxidative wear. Adhesive and two-body abrasive wear are predominated in the coating containing 30 wt% of WC, whereas threebody abrasion wear mechanism is predominated in the coating containing 60 wt% of WC. |
