Abstract
The use of coatings to improve wear and corrosion resistance of mechanical components has been common for several decades. Various application techniques have been commonly used, including welding, cladding, electroplating, PVD (physical vapor deposition) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition). Thermal spraying has been found to be an interesting and viable alternative for those processes in such applications. Coatings of several types can be used for wear and corrosion protection, including situations when they are combined. The analysis for choice of the ideal coating and of the application process should take into account the environment and related limitations and specificities of each coating material and application process. In this work a study and characterization of tungsten and chrome carbides based coatings was carried out. The coatings were applied by high velocity oxy fuel thermal spraying (HVOF), using two different HVOF systems. Microstructure, hardness, as well as wear characteristics of the coatings were evaluated. The results show that the obtained coatings present great characteristics and can successfully face several wear conditions.
