Influence of WC Particle Size on the Mechanical Properties and Residual Stress of HVOF Thermally Sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr Coatings.

Cermet coatings deposited using high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) are widely used due to their excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The new agglomeration-rapid sintering method is an excellent candidate for the preparation of WC-Co-Cr feedstock powders. In this study, four different WC-10Co-4Cr feedstock powders containing WC particles of different sizes were prepared by the new agglomeration-rapid sintering method and deposited on steel substrates using the HVOF technique. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, and Vickers indentation. The through-thickness residual stress profiles of the coatings and substrate materials were determined using neutron diffraction. We found that the microstructures and mechanical properties of the coatings were strongly dependent on the WC particle size. Decarburization and anisotropic mechanical behaviors were exhibited in the coatings, especially in the nanostructured coating. The coatings containing nano- and medium-sized WC particles were dense and uniform, with a high Young's modulus and hardness and the highest fracture toughness among the four coatings. As the WC particle size increased, the compressive stress in the coating increased considerably. Knowledge of these relationships enables the optimization of feedstock powder design to achieve superior mechanical performance of coatings in the future.

Effect of Fe and Cr on the Macro/Micro Tribological Behaviours of Copper-Based Composites.

Fe and Cr are regarded as two of the most important friction components in Cu-based composites (Cu-BCs). In this study, the microstructural detection and micro- and macro-tribology evaluation of Cu-BCs containing Fe and Cr were performed. The results indicated that both Fe and Cr formed diffusion interfaces with the copper matrix. Because of the generation of a defect interface layer, the Cr/Cu interface exhibited a low bonding strength. Owing to the excellent binding interface between Fe and Cu, the high coefficient of friction (COF) of Fe, and the formation of a mechanical mixing layer promoted by Fe, the Cu-BCs containing Fe presented better friction performance under all braking energy per unit area (BEPUA) values. The main wear mechanism of Cu-BCs containing Fe and Cr changed from abrasion to delamination with an increase in BEPUA, and the delamination of Cu-BCs containing Fe was induced by breaks in the mechanical mixed layer (MML).

Effect of CNTs in Copper Matrix on Mechanical Characteristics and Tribological Behavior under Dry Sliding and Boundary Lubrication Conditions.

In the present work, the mechanical and tribological properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced Cu matrix composites featuring 0-1.8 vol% CNTs prepared by spark plasma sintering under dry sliding and boundary lubrication conditions were investigated. The results of microstructure revealed that the bonding interface in Cu/CNT composites was very well established. Additionally, the addition of CNTs has a positive effect on improving the hardness and tensile strength of the composites, while the stress-strain response quasi-static tensile test confirms the same results. CNTs are proved to lead to certain self-lubrication. The addition of CNTs could result in decreased coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rates by reducing adhesive wear under dry sliding conditions, while the oil lubricating film was the major reason for decreased COF under boundary lubrication conditions.