Abstract
Many of the state-of-the-art thermal-spray coatings (e.g. plasma, HVOF) have been developed with wear resistance as a primary aim. However, these coatings are increasingly being required to function in environments where corrosive attack is possible. This paper comprises a description of a study of the corrosion a WC-based coating containing 10%Co and 4%Cr as the metallic binder. The coating, in the form of test coupons, involving a substrate of superduplex stainless steel, has been exposed to seawater at ambient temperature (18°C) and 50°C. The corrosion behaviour and detailed corrosion mechanisms have been investigated using electrochemical monitoring techniques supported by precise post-test microscopical examination using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray microanalysis. Results have shown the corrosion resistance of the coating material to be critically dependent on the temperature of the solution and that important changes in corrosion mechanisms arise as a function of the temperature.
