The effect of post-treatment of a high-velocity oxy-fuel Ni-Cr-Mo-Si-B coating Part I: Microstructure/corrosion behavior relationships

The microstructure and aqueous corrosion characteristics of a Ni-Cr-Mo-Si-B high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) coating have been assessed. It has been shown that postprocessing by vacuum fusion has a significant effect on the coating microstructure by increasing the type and concentration of hard phase particles. The principal hard phases in the as-sprayed condition and vacuum-sealed condition are chromium carbides, whereas molybdenum-containing boride phases are also present after vacuum fusion. Vacuumfusion post-treatment eliminates splat boundaries, which can act as sites, where preferential corrosion can occur and, hence, the dominant corrosion mechanisms change. In as-sprayed and vacuum-sealed coatings, localized attack at splat particle boundaries and crevice corrosion dominate, whereas in vacuum-fused coating, the principal mechanism of corrosion is “micropitting” as a result of the hard phase loss.