Wear Behavior of Post-Treated Arc Sprayed Cermet Coatings by Means of Hammer Peening

This study evaluates the effect of hammer peening on the wear behavior of cermet coatings. WC-FeCMnSi coatings were produced by twin wire arc spraying and post-treated on a five-axis machining center equipped with pneumatic peen. The surface topography of the peened coatings was examined and compared to as-sprayed and polished samples. Dry sliding friction and abrasive wear tests showed that the treated coatings had lower friction coefficients, but were less wear resistant than non-treated samples. Likewise, strain hardening effects revealed by nanoindentation testing were offset by process-induced cracking of embedded carbides, which contributes to break-outs and third-body wear.