The HVOF sprayed WC-CoCr coatings are widely spread due to their excellent resistance against wear and corrosion. These coatings are one of the most suitable alternatives for hard chromium in many applications. Within the research project, the most suitable hard chromium alternative for hydraulic devices in aircraft is being developed and tested. This application is highly demanding not only on the functional properties of applied coatings but also on the surface quality. Grinding and polishing of the coating are not sufficient, to achieve the necessary surface properties. This study aims to optimize the superfinishing process of HVOF sprayed WC-CoCr coating. The achieved surface quality is primarily measured using profilometry. With optimized surface preparation, the tested parts for aircraft hydraulic parts are treated and tested for leakage of operating fluids and high cyclic lifespan.

This study compares the wear performance of thermally sprayed iron coatings with that of electrolytic hard chrome (EHC) plating. Three Fe-based alloy powders (FeSP529, FeSP586, 6AB) were deposited on S355 structural steel plates by HVOF and HVAF spraying and the resulting coatings and plating samples were subjected to dry sliding wear tests using a block-on-ring setup. Wear maps for all three Fe-based powder alloys are similar, showing regions of plasticity dominated wear, wear transition, and oxidational wear as a function of sliding velocity. More importantly, the wear rates of the sprayed coatings were ten times lower than those of the EHC plating samples.

HVOF and HVAF deposited coatings of three commercial Fe-based powder alloys have been ranked according to ASTM G76 solid particle erosion testing. The reference was electrolytic hard chrome (EHC) plating. The test results at 30 m/s abrasive particle velocity showed that 6AB powder alloy, when HVAF sprayed, Fe SP586 when both HVOF and HVAF sprayed meet the EHC plating reference erosion rate. 6AB HVOF sprayed and Fe SP529 both HVOF and HVAF sprayed powder alloys achieved two to three times higher erosion rate but were still at the same level of magnitude as the EHC plating reference.

The Under Secretary of Defense mandated all DoD facilities reduce or eliminate Hexavalent Chrome from all processing environments. The USAF Landing Gear Systems Engineering located at Hill AFB Utah is converting all line of sight EHC plating to High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) applied tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC/Co) and/or tungsten carbide-cobalt chrome (WC/Co/Cr) coatings. The original HVOF coating thickness of 0.015 inch has been reduced to 0.010 inch due to spallation concerns. This has resulted in the condemnation of many expensive assets due to this coating thickness reduction. ES3 is developing an HVOF applied spall resistant coating for the USAF that may be applied up to 0.030 inch for High Strength Steels (HSS) above 200 KSI stress levels. Material test data and recommendations for use are detailed in this paper.

Thermally sprayed alumina coatings are widely used in a range of industrial applications to improve wear and erosion resistance, corrosion protection and thermal insulation of metallic surfaces. These properties are required for many components for production processes in the paper and printing industry. By means of efficient and adjustable coating processes, long-term use of the refined surfaces is obtained. It can be seen that cost-efficient arc-sprayed Al coatings post-treated by plasma-electrolytic oxidation (PEO) form Al 2 O 3 -layers with outstanding hardness, bonding strength, abrasion and corrosion resistance as well as extended service time. These coatings are designed to partially replace hard chromium.

This paper deals with coating alternatives to hard chromium plating. Indeed, thermal spraying is already used in industry, but results are not always satisfactory for reasons of porosity and microstructures. In this study, atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and in situ laser irradiation by diode laser processes were combined to modify the structural characteristics of thick NiCrBSi alloy layers. The microstructure evolution was studied and results show that in situ laser remelting induces the growth of a dendritic structure which strongly decreases the porosity of as-sprayed coatings and increases the adhesion on the substrate. Moreover, no phase transition after laser treatment is observed. At least, a mechanical investigation demonstrates that the combination between the plasma spraying and in situ melting with a diode laser can result in the improvement of mechanical properties. The hybrid process appears to be a possible alternative to hard chromium plating, in order to protect mechanical parts, because of the good mechanical behaviour of NiCrBSi layer. Moreover, the increase of the laser incident power causes an increase of the mean contact pressure, along with coatings hardness.

Pressure to identify alternatives to hard chromium electroplating has increased these few last years, related to environmental requirements, because of the use of hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic substance. The plasma spray technique allows the formation of thick coatings which present moderate adhesion to the substrate and show porosity and formation of oxide interlayers, which impairs to obtain full benefits of the coatings properties. In this sense, a treatment can be necessary to improve the properties of these coatings. In this paper, the effect of an in situ laser melting treatment of NiCrBSi coatings, deposited by plasma spraying was investigated. It is demonstrated by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that this process is clean. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of as-sprayed and in situ remelted layers was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization curves. The corrosion resistance was increased because of the finer structure and higher densities of the coatings, nevertheless, corrosion mechanisms occurring in all cases are different.

The aim of this study is to propose coatings that could potentially replace hard chromium as a means of corrosion and wear protection. Two NiCrBSi coatings are evaluated, one produced by laser cladding, the other by atmospheric plasma spraying with a post-laser treatment. Although laser-clad NiCrBSi exhibits the best technical properties, the APS coatings were found to be more environmentally justifiable based on the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) software.

Electroplated hard chromium (EHC) is widely coated onto parts to provide resistance to corrosion, wear and impact. The electroplating process, however, has significant health and environmental impacts. Air emissions during the electroplating process contain hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) - a known carcinogen, furthermore the process is energy intensive and generates hazardous waste. Because of health and environmental issues related to hard chromium plating, there have been several efforts to find alternatives. One of the more efficient technologies among the substitutes is High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying. This technology is commercially available today, with a major commercial opportunity in aerospace applications. In this paper, we therefore compare the life cycle environmental footprints of hard chromium and HVOF coatings for aircraft landing gear. Our results indicate that from an environmental perspective, HVOF spraying is generally preferable to EHC plating, with 5-10 times lower human health impacts and 30-50 times lower ecosystem impacts. However, in terms of resource consumption, the processes have similar impact profiles with EHC plating having a potential for lower impact on resources in areas with a significant share of renewable electricity.

HVO/AF (High-Velocity-Oxygen/Air-Fuel) WC-17Co and WC-10Co4Cr coatings exhibit great potential in the replacement of electrolytic hard chrome (EHC) coating, and comprehensive properties of such coatings should be not worse than those of electrolytic hard chrome coating. The impingement-resistance of HVAF coatings sprayed on 300M ultra-high strength steel was studied in this paper. As an important property index, the fracture toughness of HVAF WC coatings was measured using micro-indentation method at the load of 9.8, 19.6, 24.5, 29.4 and 49.0N respectively. The cracks resulted from stress concentration in the micro-indentation were analyzed. The impingement-resistance for two HVAF WC coatings and EHC was evaluated according to the ASTM D3170 standard, and steel ball dropping experimentation was performed at the height of 0.61, 1.52, 1.83, 2.36 and 2.59m respectively. The cracks caused by both impingements were analyzed using SEM and optical microscopy in comparison with cracks in micro-indentation test.

For deposition of protective coatings different coating techniques are available. Usually, detailed evaluation of various deposit types and materials is necessary for selection of the best suited coating for specific application fields and demands. Subject of this work are thermally sprayed functional coatings applied as wear (and corrosion) protective layers. Examination of different optimized thermal spray coatings, i.e. HVOF sprayed WC/Co(Cr) and Cr 3 C 2 /NiCr coatings, conventional flame sprayed and fused self fluxing alloy coatings reinforced by hardmetal and APS sprayed oxide Al 2 O 3 /TiO 2 and Cr 2 O 3 coatings, is done in comparison to thick hard chromium platings. Two abrasive wear tests featuring wear by lose abrasive particles are carried out. These impart dry wear conditions according to ASTM G65 (Rubber Wheel test) and wear by abrasive suspensions according to ASTM G75 (Miller test). The work also contains evaluation of newly developed HVOF torch components permitting increased combustion gas, and therefore also particle, velocities concerning the benefit in terms of coating properties. Exemplary evaluation of the new components influence on velocity and temperature of spray particles is carried out by comparative SprayWatch analyses. Both the influence on the coatings microstructure and the wear performance are studied. Coating microstructure is evaluated qualitatively by optical and scanning electron microscopy and the micro hardness HV0.3 is measured. Worn surfaces are studied by SEM in order to deduce wear mechanisms.

The Airbus A380 program marked the Goodrich Landing Gear introduction of High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) applied tungsten carbide cobalt chrome (WC-Co-Cr) coating as a replacement coating for electrolytic hard chrome. HVOF is a new coating technology when applied to aircraft landing gear so specifications for coating application, finishing, powder and supplier qualification were developed to reflect the unique function of landing gear components. Since the materials, sizes and shapes of landing gear components are dissimilar to other aerospace parts currently HVOF sprayed, the capabilities of each spraying and grinding supplier needed careful assessment. Both suppliers and internal customers required training on the requirements specific to landing gear. This paper will discuss the development of HVOF specifications specific to aircraft landing gear, the methods developed for qualifying HVOF suppliers, and some challenges encountered when introducing HVOF-applied WC-Co-Cr as a hard chrome replacement.

Activated Combustion HVAF (AC-HVAF) spraying provides efficient deposition of metallic and carbide coatings using solid particle spray technology. Oxidation and thermal deterioration of sprayed materials is significantly reduced, resulting in improved quality of coatings. Resistance of different WC-Co and WC-Co-Cr AC-HVAF coatings to abrasive wear was investigated using ASTM G-65 test. It was found that the AC-HVAF hardware setup, type of fuel gas and spray parameters affected deposition efficiency but not wear resistance of coatings. Herewith, the method of powder manufacturing revealed significant influence on coating wear resistance. The AC-HVAF sprayed coatings were compared to HVOF-sprayed counterparts, as well as to hard surfacing and chrome plating. The AC-HVAF sprayed coatings were efficient in competing with modern surfacing technologies in many industrial applications.

In severe corrosive or abrasive environments, steel is rarely used since the range of properties available, in existing steels, are insufficient, resulting in the prevalent usage of either corrosion resistant materials like nickel based superalloys or abrasion resistant materials like tungsten carbide based hardmetals. Recently, a host of carbide based alloys including WC-Co-Cr, NiCr-Cr 3 C 2 , WC-WB-Co etc. have been developed in an attempt to bridge the gap between providing both wear and corrosion protection. Data will be presented showing how a newly developed steel coating, SAM2X5, with an amorphous / nanocomposite structure can bridge the gap between conventional metallic alloys and ceramic hardmetal performance with excellent combinations of properties including corrosion resistance superior to nickel base superalloys in seawater / chloride environments and wear resistance approaching that of tungsten carbide. The unique combination of damage tolerance developed should be especially applicable for the replacement of electrolytic hard chromium coatings.

Hard chromium, electrochemical deposited, is a widely used and established coating solution for surface protection against wear and corrosion as well as for decorative applications. Due to the possibility to coat bulk goods also, this technique is well suitable to protect small pieces and mass-produced goods. However, the most disadvantage of that technique is the appearance of highly carcinogenic hexa-valence chromium. Because of human health and environmental aspects the replacement of this coating technique is more and more required. At least for bigger parts with larger surfaces H(igh) V(elocity) O(xy) F(uel) -spraying can already produce competitive coatings to galvanic hard chromium with equal or even better properties. Especially thermal sprayed carbide coatings with in terms of corrosion resistance tailored metallic matrices offering the best potential to replace hard chromium in various applications. Beside of the material properties also the spraying conditions have essential influence on the corrosion resistance of those coatings. The present paper will give an overview of different carbide containing materials for HVOF-spraying and their properties with special respect to the replacement of galvanic hard chromium. The closest attention will be on the corrosion resistance of HVOF-coatings of those materials in different aqueous solutions compared with hard chromium. For a liquid fuel high velocity spraying system also the trends will be shown in which way the spraying parameters are influencing the general corrosion behaviour of such coatings. Those tendencies by conviction of the authors are also transferable to other HVOF systems.

WC thermal spray based powders are now frequently used as chrome replacement alternatives for a wide range of industrial and aeronautical applications. In numerous cases, the carbide materials outperform the hard chrome in many property evaluations However, its usage on highly stressed parts, especially in fatigue loading, can be limited by spalling resistance of the coating. While HVOF is being used on many flight critical parts, stringent applications like the carrier based landing gear components are still under investigation. This work, on WC-17%Co, relates the processing history of different HVOF processes used at a variety of industrial sources for hard chrome replacement to the coating microstructure and mechanical properties. The thermal history of the WC particles was monitored using a DPV-2000. The mechanical properties of the coatings were assessed following an instrumented four-point bend test as well as uniaxial cyclic loading. The coating microstructures were characterized using X-Ray diffraction and electron microscopy in order to investigate the phase content and nature. In particular, the cracks generated during the bend test were measured using SEM on samples cross sections to measure characteristics such as spacing and crack penetration to the substrate. The goal of the investigation was to better understand the interaction of processing parameters with the cracking/spalling resistance of the varied coating deposits. Abstract only; no full-text paper available.

HVOF-sprayed coatings (WC-17Co, WC-10Co-4Cr, Co-28Mo-17Cr-3Si) have been compared with various kinds of industrially manufactured hard chrome coatings (HCC), whose substrate preparation, deposition process, post deposition treatments greatly affect their characteristics. Microstructure, micromechanical properties, tribological behaviour and corrosion resistance (electrochemical polarization tests and Corrodkote test) have been studied. HVOF-sprayed cermets are harder but less tough than HCC, Co-28Mo-17Cr-3Si are less hard than HCC. Splats detachment causes a comparable or higher mass loss in three-body abrasion than HCC coatings. Forming a uniform surface film, cermet coatings definitely overcome HCC in two-body sliding, while Co-28Mo-17Cr-3Si has insufficient hardness to display good sliding wear resistance. HVOF coatings show no passivation in corrosive media but cermets posses more noble corrosion potentials than HCC, and undergo generalized corrosion in HNO 3 and HCl, with similar corrosion current densities (I C ). HCC passivate and resist well in HNO 3 0.1N, but undergo pitting corrosion in 0.1N HCl. Definitely different E C and I C are recorded for various HCC in HCl. HVOF-sprayed cermet coatings show lower I C in 0.1N HCl solution than several kinds of HCC. No visible damage occurs on HVOF-sprayed coatings after the Corrodkote test, while non de-hydrogenated HCC suffered pitting corrosion.

Environmental protection and worker safety measures against hard chrome plating are increasing and leading many industries to adopt alternatives. HVOF thermal spray technology for applications of tungsten carbide based coatings have proved to be more environmentally friendly and effective than hard chrome. In this study, the results of wear tests for WC-12%Co sprayed coatings deposited onto AFNOR 25CD4 low carbon steel are compared to those for hard chrome. It was shown that WC-12%Co coatings exhibit the adequate tribological properties compared to those of electrodeposited hard chrome.

The laser-flash method is used to determine the thermal diffusivity of HVOF sprayed WC-Co(Cr) and Cr 3 C 2 -Ni20Cr as well as APS sprayed Cr 2 O 3 and electroplated hard chromium coatings in the temperature range between RT and 600°C. Additionally bond and/or corrosion protective coatings like Ni5Al, Ni20Cr and 316L are characterized taking into account the different manufacturing methods twin wire arc spraying, HVCW and HVOF. With respect to the application example of drying rollers in paper industries the Taber-Abraser wear test is applied to evaluate the wear resistance. Finally the coatings are characterized concerning their corrosion resistance by salt fog test and by exposure to humid SO 2 environment. For WC-CoCr feedstock the effect of carbide size and micro hardness on thermal, wear and corrosion properties are studied. WC-CoCr coatings with maximum micro hardness and fine carbides show the best thermal conductivity. The use of coarse carbide feedstock permits manufacturing of coatings with the highest resistance against dry abrasive wear, but the protective function depends severely on the processing conditions.

Diesel engine development is continuously progressing: light vehicle diesel (LVD) engines are gaining in popularity in Europe and therefore we see a steady improvement in power performance and fuel consumption going along with increased loading of the power-cylinder components. Moreover, heavy-duty (HD) engines for trucks are facing stricter environmental legislation leading amongst other technologies to the introduction of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Whatever reduced emission technology will be applied, they all will significantly influence the engine tribology. This paper is dedicated to describing modern piston ring coating technologies to face the future diesel engine demands. The paper mainly focuses onto modern piston ring coating technology such as hard particle reinforced chrome plating, HVOF spraying and PVD. In particular, it will be discussed how thermal spray coatings need to be designed to find their position among established or future coating technologies of the competition.