Search Results for (cavitation erosion AND damage)

Cavitation erosion (CE) damage, which occurs in the main parts (made of high chromium cast steel) of hydroelectric power generation machine, is one of the serious problems. It is expected that life time of those parts would be prolonged if the suitable CE-resistant coating is applied on the surface of the cast steel. In this study, WC-cermet coatings (WC-CoCr and WC-Cr 3 C 2 -Ni), which were fabricated by high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying process, was interested in protecting CE attack to the cast steel. To clarify CE property of the WC-cermet coatings, the ultrasonic vibration tests were conducted, and the amount of volume loss characterized as CE damage was measured. The microstructure and the fracture toughness, which was evaluated by the indentation test method, of the coatings were related with the CE damage. As the results obtained in this study, the fragment which was spalled from the surface after CE test was almost flake-like shape, and its size was from 2µm to 50µm. SEM observation indicated that this fragment included both WC particle and metal binder, which means that WC particle and metal binder was still strongly bonded together. It was also confirmed that the amount of volume loss could relate directly with the fracture toughness KIC rather than Vickers hardness. It was considered that CE damage was progressed into the depth by throwing out the fragment originated from micro crack initiation. Thus, it was required that the CE resistance of the developed coatings could be labelled through the fracture toughness.

Damage of marine screw propeller parts made of aluminum bronze cast material caused by cavitation erosion is one of the serious problems. Erosion resistant thermal spray coating on aluminum-bronze material is expected to extend lifetime of such propellers. In this study, Cobalt-based alloy coatings sprayed by; (a) atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), (b) low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) and (c) high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying and aluminum bronze cast material were evaluated by cavitation erosion test using magnetostrictive cavitation test equipment. Fracture morphology of cavitation eroded coating surfaces were analyzed by surface observations with SEM and also the amount of volume loss was measured. Cobalt-based alloy coatings sprayed by LPPS exhibited superior cavitation erosion resistance compared to aluminum bronze cast material and coatings by APS and HVOF. Moreover, mechanical properties of Cobalt-based alloy coatings were investigated in detail by nanoindentation technique. It is found that cavitation erosion resistance of coatings is subjected to interparticle cohesive strength.

This study investigates the cavitation erosion (CE) behavior and fracture morphology of tungsten carbide thermal spray coatings. WC-CoCr and WC-CrC-Ni powders of various sizes were deposited on stainless steel substrates by HVOF spraying using different combustion pressures. Coating samples and Cr steel reference specimens were subjected to vibratory cavitation erosion tests, volume loss was measured, and erosion damages were examined by SEM to assess fracture morphology. The results indicate that CE resistance can be improved by reducing porosity and increasing interparticle bonding strength.

Cavitation erosion is one of the serious problems that affect lifetime and performance on hydraulic machineries and its components. Surface modification techniques is required to apply to hydraulic components, such as water turbine and radial flow pump, in general. Here, the techniques, which can easily be applied to large area, is must be required for actual applications in the fields. Thus, thermal sprayed WC cermet coatings with high abrasion resistance under wet conditions are one of the promising solutions as the protective coatings against cavitation erosion. In this study, WC/Cr 3 C 2 /Ni and WC/Co/Cr coatings prepared using a high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spraying have been evaluated by a magneto-striction vibratory apparatus to investigate the cavitation erosion resistance. The microstructures of the sprayed coatings after the cavitation erosion test have been analyzed by SEM to clarify the erosion mechanism. It has been found that the cavitation erosion resistance of the WC cermet coatings is significantly affected by primary particle size of WC, powder compositions and spray conditions. In the WC/10wt%Co/4wt%Cr, the coating with WC average particle size of 6.3 µm sprayed by optimized spray conditions achieved the highest cavitation erosion resistance than the other WC coatings as well as base materials of stainless steel used in the actual components.

Thermally sprayed coatings with Co-based alloy were evaluated for cavitation erosion resistance in order to use as erosion proof coatings. Co-based alloy coatings have been applied by Low Pressure Plasma Spray (LPS) and High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Flame Spray (HVOF) on the AISI 403 stainless steel substrates and half number of each coated specimen were post-heated at 1073K for 1 hour. The mass loss was measured for evaluation in this study. The following results have been obtained in the cavitation test; i) Both of LPS coatings (the post-heated and the as sprayed) have more excellent cavitation erosion resistance than HVOF coatings, ii) With regard to LPS coatings, the post-heated coating has the same weight loss as the as-sprayed coatings. iii)The post heat treatment to HVOF is remarkably effective to improve the cavitation erosion resistance.

Cavitation is a wear process in engineering systems caused by the energy release of collapsing bubbles leading to the failure of critical components such as valves, pumps, and propellers. Thermally sprayed coatings can be applied to improve the wear resistance of these components. This investigation considers a WC-NiCrBSi coating composition under cavitation wear, where the WC phase provides the strength and the NiCrBSi matrix offers corrosion resistance in seawater. Coatings were deposited on AISI 440C stainless steel discs of 32mm diameter and 8mm thickness using industrially optimized parameters for the HVOF JP5000 system. Indirect cavitation tests were conducted using a modified ASTM G32 testing procedure on coated test coupons in as-sprayed and Hot Isostatic Pressed (HIPed) conditions. Two tests were performed for each coating using natural seawater of pH 8.19 at room temperature, and averaged wear values are reported to compare the cavitation rate and cumulative mass loss of the coatings. Coating microstructural phases in the as-sprayed and HIPed conditions were identified using X-ray diffraction. The microstructure of the coating substrate system and post-cavitation test wear scars were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). This investigation provides an understanding of the corrosive-cavitation wear behavior and failure modes of coatings. The cavitation erosion rate and cumulative mass loss results showed that the as-sprayed WC-NiCrBSi coatings improve the cavitation wear resistance of the substrate.

This paper evaluates the cavitation erosion wear rate and failure modes of WC-10Co-4Cr coatings. These coatings are used in various industrial applications to protect against erosive, abrasive, sliding and cavitation wear in corrosive environments. Cavitation erosion tests were performed using a modified ASTM G-32 cavitation test rig. Thermally sprayed High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) WC-Co-Cr coatings were deposited using industrially optimised coating process parameters on carbon steel and stainless-steel substrate coupons. Coatings were tested to simulate the cavitation bubbles occurring in valves, pumps, and ship propellers. Indirect cavitation was used to impact the cavitation bubbles on the test specimen at a fixed offset distance from the vibrator end. Test specimens were immersed in natural seawater. A water circulation cooling system was used to control the temperature of the water. The cumulative mass cavitation erosion and erosion rate results were evaluated. The coating microstructure was analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction. Post-test evaluations included SEM observation in combination with energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) to understand the failure modes. Results are discussed in terms of the factors controlling the cavitation erosion rate.

The present study compares needed prerequisites for the application of cavitation resistant bronzes by applying different coating techniques, such as cold spraying, HVOF spraying, warm spraying and arc spraying. By optimization to optimum cavitation resistance, the deposited coatings can increase the service life of ship rudders significantly and even serve as repair processes for ship propellers. The given overview aims to support the selection of processes when specifying the target properties to be set with regard to cavitation protection. By using high-pressure warm spraying and cold spraying, properties similar to those of cast nickel aluminum bronze were achieved, however at relatively high costs. In contrast, coatings produced by using HVOF and arc spraying have erosion rates that are only about four respectively three times higher as compared to cast nickel aluminum bronze, while far outperforming bulk shipbuilding steel. Hence, their properties should be sufficient for acceptable service life or docking intervals for ship rudder applications. Propeller repair might demand for better coating properties as obtained by cold spraying. With respect to costs, HVOF and arc spraying in summary might represent a good compromise to reach coating properties needed in application.

The proposed paper reports a series of experiments to investigate the cavitation erosion mechanism of HVOF coatings. Vibratory cavitation erosion tests according to ASTM G 32 have been carried out with several HVOF coatings including cermets, oxides and metallic alloys. The steady state erosion rate for each coating was determined and the effect of coating composition and microstructure on the erosion rate was investigated. The morphology and microstructure of the various coatings before and after cavitation testing were analyzed by means of light optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to study the erosion mechanism. The results demonstrate that HVOF coatings of NiCrFeBSi, WC-17Co, Cr 3 C 2 -25NiCr and Cr 2 O 3 can exhibit a rather high resistance against cavitation erosion and should be considered for application as a protective surface layer against cavitation. Furthermore, it is shown that cavitation testing can provide a useful tool to study and characterize the bond strength between individual splats as well as the brittleness of the individual phases present in the coating.

Fe-based coatings, such as novel FeCrMnBC alloys, have both economic and ecological advantages compared to other coatings like Ni-based or Co-based coatings. In recent years, high performance Fe-based wear and corrosion resistant coating systems have been developed. Some of them have even been introduced into the market. However, the suitability of the FeCrMnBC alloy as coating for cast iron under complex erosive and corrosive stresses in particle-loaded fluids for pump parts has not been investigated yet. Especially the impact of the process robustness of three-cathode plasma spraying coatings applied with variable process parameters like stand-off distance and spray angle is in the focus of interest. The objective of the present work has been the characterization of novel FeCrMnBC alloys, for the first time deposited via Thermal Spray processes. The corrosion resistances as well as the cavitation and erosion properties were separately evaluated by current density-potential measurements and supersonic cavitation in artificial sea water. Erosion corrosion behavior has been investigated in a pump test rig with 10 wt.-% corundum (Al 2 O 3 ) particles. The results show that the reduction of spray angle and the variation of stand-off distance limit the corrosion and cavitation resistance in different ways. The erosion behavior shows only small variations for the tested parameters. The results reveal that the FeCrMnBC coatings exhibit high process robustness for the chosen parameter variations and a large potential to improve the protection of cast iron even for not optimized conditions.

The development of materials and alloys for coatings has been increasingly important for reducing costs in different manufacturing processes. The Inconel alloy is widely used due to its chemical inertness and high resistance to high temperatures, but it does not present adequate resistance to erosive wear. In this context, the resistance to wear from cavitation erosion and slurry erosion was evaluated of samples with depositions obtained by laser cladding (Laser directed energy deposition - L-DED) of Inconel 718 and Inconel 718+10%NiNb. The cavitation erosion wear tests were carried out following the ASTM G32 standard (2016), and the ASTM G73-10 standard (2017) was used to evaluate the resistance to slurry erosion wear. The scanning electron microscopy technique (SEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the cross-section and the surface after wear. The wear mechanism was checked and identified. Microhardness profiles of the cladding cross-section were carried out. The mass loss and wear rate due to cavitation and slurry jet erosion of Inconel 718 and Inconel 718+ 10% NiNb coatings were determined. It was proven that the addition of 10% NiNb in the formation of the cladding caused a 45% increase in average microhardness in the cross-section of the Inconel 718 cladding. The addition of 10% NiNb to the Inconel 718 cladding caused a decrease in mass loss due to slurry erosion from 38.9 mg to 21.9 mg (33%) when the erodent impact angle was 60°.

The cavitation erosion of various hardfacing coatings was investigated by using a vibratory cavitation apparatus according to ASTM G 32. Coatings of austenitic stainless steel containing 10 % cobalt were applied by arc welding. High velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF) was employed to produce coatings of various kinds of cermets and metallic alloys. For each coating, the steady state erosion rate was determined and the effect of process parameters and alloy composition on the microstructure and erosion rate was investigated. The morphology and microstructure of the coatings before and after cavitation testing were analysed by metallographic methods in order to study the erosion mechanism. It is demonstrated that the high resistance to cavitation erosion of the cobalt-alloyed steel can even further increase when the fluxed core arc welding process and an improved pulsed power source are used to produce the coatings. The erosion resistance of the HVOF coatings, however, was limited by pores, microcracks and oxides and did not significantly exceed the level typical for bulk stainless steel 316 L.

Cavitation erosion is one of the major problems of hydraulic machinery and may cause the equipment to reduce power and then to stop working. Now with the study of nanomaterials, some special properties of nanostructured coatings are recognized and HVOF nanostructured WC-12Co coating may possess far more excellent potential to protect equipment from cavitation erosion than the conventional HVOF coatings. In the present paper nanostructured and conventional coatings were deposited by HVOF. Resistance of the coatings to cavitation erosion was studied by ultrasonic vibration cavitation equipment. Cavitation pits and craters were observed by SEM and cavitation mechanisms were explored. The results showed that nanostructured coating demonstrated more excellent performance in cavitation erosion and the erosion rate is approximately one third that of conventional one. The nanostructured existence and the increase in microhardness and toughness of the coating are important factors, which influence the resistance of coatings to cavitation erosion.

Cavitation erosion frequently occurs in hydraulic components such as turbines, valves, pumps, and ship propellers. Arc thermal spray processing has the possibility to be used for maintenance recovering of hydraulic blade runners. Fe-Cr-Mn-Si is a cavitation-resistant class of steel with a high concentration of oxidation elements—which can be important for arc thermally sprayed coatings—and a strain-induced phase transformation. The influence of chemical composition on oxide formation, microstructure, and cavitation resistance of Fe- Mn-Cr-Si thermally sprayed coatings was studied, and its field performance in a Francis type runner was evaluated. Microstructures and properties were investigated by XPS, XRD, optical microscopy, and ultrasonic cavitation testing. The best cavitation resistance was obtained in Fe-Mn-Cr-Si alloy with a nickel addition; this composition has lower oxide and splash droplets content and exhibits better splat wetting than Fe-Mn-Cr-Si without nickel. Strain-induced phase transformation occurred in arc thermally sprayed coatings during cavitation tests. Better performances for Fe-Mn-Cr-Si alloys, without nickel, were obtained in alloys with higher strain induced martensite contents after cavitation tests. In field tests, after 2000 operation hours, it was verified that the recovered areas presented only a small number of eroded areas, and cavitation erosion was reduced compared with uncoated areas.

The effect of martensitic phase transformation on cavitation erosion resistance for a deposited layer prepared from a Fe-8Cr- C-1.5Al-Ti flux-cored wire of metastable steel was studied. A reference material of AISI 316L stainless steel was used as a substrate. Cavitation tests were performed using a modified ultrasonic tester. X-ray diffraction was used to examine the phase transformation before and after cavitation tests. Also, the eroded surfaces of specimens were investigated by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and 3D optical profilometer. The cavitation results revealed that the deposited layer exhibited a resistance to cavitation erosion approximately 10 times higher than the AISI 316L steel due to the martensitic phase transformation occurring during the cavitation process. The phase transformation plays a main role to minimize the cavitation damage of specimen. This is due to the fact that it contributes to obstructing movement of dislocations and increasing the hardness as a result of the increased hardening on the surface.

Combined damage of cavitation and abrasion is one of the serious problems that affect lifetime and performance on hydraulic machineries and its components. Thermal spraying as a surface hardening and protection technology is required to protect hydraulic components, such as water turbine and radial flow pump, in general. Detonation sprayed coating with high abrasion resistance is one of the promising solutions as the protective coating against combined damage of cavitation and abrasion under solid-liquid double phase liquid conditions. In this study, NiCr-Cr 3 C 2 and WC12Co coatings on the No.45 steel substrate surface have been formed by detonation spraying with the same technological parameter and their properties such as microstructure and microhardness have been studied. The cavitation and abrasion behavior of coatings and the substrate has been investigated using a self-manufactured rotating disk system. The resistance properties of cavitation erosion and abrasion have been illustrated and analyzed with the substrate by the cumulative mass loss curves. The results indicate that, the resistance properties of cavitation erosion and abrasion of NiCr-Cr 3 C 2 coating are the best.

Cavitation and erosion damage to hydroelectric turbines and pumps can be a major problem. The effectiveness of thermal sprayed cavitation-erosion resistant coatings for hydroelectric turbine and pumps was evaluated. The coatings evaluated were applied using High Velocity Oxyfuel (HVOF) and Plasma Spray systems. Hard facing cobalt based alloys were evaluated on coupons in the laboratory. Testing was performed using a cavitating jet erosion apparatus utilizing an operating pressure of 27.6 MPa. The results were compared to welded 308 stainless steel. Cavitation resistant austenitic stainless steel weld alloys were also evaluated. The results showed that the cavitation rate of the austenitic stainless steel weld alloys were as low as one third of the rate of the 308 stainless steel. The cavitation rate of the thermally sprayed hard facing coatings were more than three times higher than the rate of the 308 stainless steel. CERHAB glass enamel coatings containing 7 wt % wollastonite fibers were successful applied by using two combustion spray processes. The applied CERHAB coatings were successfully annealed using field portable heaters and may have application as a seal coat for thermal spray coatings applied in the field.

Thermally sprayed ceramic coatings are used in environments requiring good wear- and corrosion resistance among others. However, a typical issue with ceramic coatings is their low impact resistance and tendency to fail catastrophically by cracking. In bulk ceramics, the Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 –composition has been of interest for long since already small additions of ZrO 2 into Al 2 O 3 have shown improvements in fracture toughness compared to pure Al 2 O 3 . Efforts are being made to induce this increased resistance to fracturing in thermally sprayed coatings as well, resulting in higher wear resistance due to a more predictable behavior and damage-tolerance. In this work, Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 -coatings have been deposited by atmospheric plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF) processes. The wear characteristics of the coatings were evaluated with cavitation erosion, delving into the mechanics of the erosion and the resulting microstructural changes in the coatings. Evidence of phase transformation of t-ZrO 2 to m-ZrO 2 was found during the erosion. The HVOF-sprayed coating exhibited greater wear resistance against the cavitating bubbles due to its finer microstructure.

To evaluate the corrosion resistance of various coatings applied by the flame spraying method, and to compare their protective properties in sweet- and sea-water samples with seven types of coatings were made, one of them is paint, used to coat ship’s bottom. SEM, Neutral spray salt, according to ASTM B117, erosion-corrosion (E-C) tests in sweet- and sea-water were carried out. The test results showed that coatings based on zinc alloys and polymer are much more effective than standard epoxy coatings and can be compared with expensive zinc-filled paints, because the latter require frequent repairs and repainting. Moreover, the developed coatings are supposed to protect against fouling. At the moment, the fouling tests are continuing.

Many studies have investigated methods to reduce cavitation damage in hydraulic turbines and reduce residual stresses after coating deposition. In this work, a cobalt stainless steel was applied by arc thermal spraying. The influence of air pressure deposition and plasma remelting on the microstructure, oxide volume fraction, porosity, microhardness, and cavitation resistance were studied. Microstructures and properties of the AS895HY cobalt stainless steel coatings were investigated by x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, microhardness testing, and ultrasonic cavitation testing (ASTM G32-93). The increase in air pressure, 280 to 550 kPa, modified the oxide fraction from 10.9±1.8% to 24.1±2.8% in the samples. The mass loss results in the cavitation tests were 13.8, 19.2, and 15.0 mg/h for the samples with 280, 410, and 550 kPa, respectively. The remelting of the sprayed coatings eliminated the oxides and porosity. Austenite formation was observed in the two remelted layers with decreases in microhardness; for the first layer, this occurred because of the AWS309L substrate dilution. The PTA remelting reduces the mass loss rate to 0.497 mg/h, with 8.02 hours incubation period. Phase transformations were observed in the remelted coating, but not verified in the arc thermal sprayed coatings.