Friction and Wear Behavior of Thermally Sprayed Al-Cu-Fe Quasicrystal Coatings

Gas atomized Al₆₃Cu₂₅Fe₁₂ powders of varying size fractions were plasma sprayed to study the relationships between coating microstructure and tribological behavior. After spraying, annealing was performed on one of the coatings. Abrasion and sliding wear tests were performed on the coatings. The results indicate a correlation between the abrasion resistance and hardness of the coatings. Furthermore, sliding wear tests reveal lower coefficients of friction for the as-sprayed coatings compared to the annealed coatings.