Different WC-based coatings have been sprayed by the HVOF process and characterised by different methods. The influence of different powder characteristics on the wear and corrosion performance was investigated. Powder characteristics investigated include: i) average WC particle size, ii) matrix composition and iii) powder grain size distribution. The results show that the coating properties are affected by the different powder characteristics. Small WC particles were found to be beneficial as regards the erosion and erosion-corrosion resistance. An increase of the Cr and Mo content increased the corrosion and erosion-corrosion resistance. Powders with narrow grain size distributions gave coatings of higher quality than powders with wider grain size distributions.

This paper describes results from investigations of tungsten carbide (WC) coatings with high alloy binders. Experimental powders were manufactured by agglomeration/sintering using pre-alloyed metal particles together with WC particles. Coatings were sprayed by the HVOF process and investigated with respect to microstructure, hardness, erosion and erosion-corrosion. For comparison coatings from commercial powder materials were sprayed and investigated. This and previous work has demonstrated the importance of having a corrosion resistant binder. A corrosion resistant binder is of major importance for constructions where maintenance is difficult for instance in constructions for oil and gas production from wells at large depths in the North Sea. Improved coating quality will lead to increased life time for coated components, improved safety conditions, fewer shut-downs and large reductions in maintenance costs.

This paper reviews some data regarding the combined effect of erosion and corrosion of thermal spray ceramicmetallic coatings and their potential application in sea water and production systems for the oil industry. The paper also presents recent research results from SINTEF Corrosion and Surface Technology with respect to development of new and better ceramic-metallic coatings from the Norwegian coating industry. It has been shown that taking new high velocity spraying technology into use in combination with recent developed powders, the result is a more corrosion and erosion resistant coating than the traditional and most often specified type Praxair LW45.

In biomass boilers, corrosion is a prevalent concern that arises at high temperatures. This is mainly because the fuels consumed in these boilers have a high alkali, chlorine, and other molten salt content that has occasionally led to material depletion, leaks, and unforeseen plant shutdowns. Applying protective coatings using thermal spray techniques is a practical answer to this issue. The current work focused on applying powders of Inconel 625 and Inconel 718 to boiler steel using a high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying method. The samples after coating deposition were subjected to the conditions of a biomass-fired boiler for 15 cycles to study the performance of the coatings in a real environment. The decrease of thickness over time was used to evaluate the erosion-corrosion process. Various characterization techniques were used to examine the as-sprayed and eroded-corroded specimens. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was utilized to analyze the phases, while the surface characteristics of powders, coatings, and samples exposed to erosion-corrosion were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). When exposed to the actual boiler environment, the findings showed that Inconel 625-coated steel performed better than Inconel 718-coated steel.

Turbine blades in hydropower plants have to withstand the most severe seasonal loading conditions when the river water is heavily loaded with sediments. Welded blade surfaces are considered state of the art, but they cannot withstand the aggressive, eroding and abrasive loading conditions in the major rivers in China. Once a year there is flooding with a maximum amount of sediment in the river water. This is why coating systems with maximum wear resistance must be developed, examined, produced and tested over a maximum period of time. In this article, the wear results of various coating systems examined in a special test facility are described in order to obtain comparable results from several proposed coating systems together with material classification tests. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

This paper compares three thermally sprayed coatings with different carbide types in a NiCr matrix (25% by volume) with regard to their erosion, corrosion, and wear resistance. The three types of carbide are WC, chromium carbide, and TiC. The coatings were sprayed with the Sultzer-Metco Diamond-Jet 2600 equipment. All coatings were produced with the same spray parameters. If the sand particles hit the surface at high angles of impact, the WC coating is better than the other two coatings in terms of erosion/corrosion resistance. Micro-abrasive wear tests also showed the WC coating was superior (slightly better than the TiC coating). The corrosion properties of the coatings were almost the same. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

Rare earth has been widely used in materials manufacturing to improve hardness and toughness. In this paper, conventional, nanostructured and CeO 2 modified WC-12Co powders were sprayed by using HVOF spraying technology. Erosion-corrosion behavior and interaction role of erosion and corrosion of the three coatings in 3.5wt% NaCl solution were investigated. In situ observation method was employed to analyze failure mechanism. The results showed that CeO 2 modified WC-12Co coatings possessed the best erosion-corrosion resistance, which is the worst for the conventional WC-12Co coating. The addition of rare earth CeO 2 into conventional WC-12Co coating can improve the erosion-corrosion behavior. Results suggested that the erosion-corrosion mechanism in the three coatings was dominated by corrosion-enhanced erosion. However, the extent of corrosion enhanced erosion was different.

In this study, NbC coatings, 250 µm thick, were deposited by low-velocity flame spraying on stainless steel substrates and were laser remelted in a controlled argon atmosphere. Isolated passes transverse of the coatings were performed at different focal lengths at speeds of 10, 15, and 20 mm/min. Using the selected laser parameters, layers were recast with eight passes at 10% superposition. Erosion-corrosion tests were performed and coating surfaces and cross-sections were characterized via SEM, EDS, and XRD analysis. Modified surfaces of dense, 800-µm thick coatings with no defects and excellent metallurgical bonding with the substrate were obtained. It was found that dilution of the coating with the substrate formed a gradient of chemical composition and mechanical properties and that erosive-corrosive wear resistance was highest for an erodent impact angle of 90°.

There are numerous industrial applications where materials are subjected to simultaneous high temperature oxidation/corrosion and wear (such as erosion). This combination often leads to accelerated degradation. Specific industries include: chemical, waste incineration, power generation and paper/pulp with typical applications including boilers and cyclones. Previous studies have established wrought material compositions and microstructures which can resist these environments. In searching for cost-effective industrial solutions, surface coating via thermal spray becomes attractive. However, the microstructural complexity of such coatings can make the simple extrapolation of bulk material behavior to these coatings dangerous. If these coatings are to be used more widely, a greater understanding of their high temperature erosion/corrosion behavior and the influence of coating process is required. A range of Fe-and Ni-based alloys and thermal spray techniques were studied under various high temperature erosion/corrosion conditions. The critical erosion parameters of impact angle (30° to 90°) and temperature (up to 550°C in air) have been studied in an atmospheric fluidized bed test rig environment, using Al2O3 erodent at a typical impact velocity of 4m/sec and conventional high temperature erosion test equipment. The important microstructural and mechanical features of the coatings and the effect of the thermal spray process are discussed in terms of their high temperature degradation mechanisms.

In corrosive media the wear resistance of ceramic-metallic coatings is dependent on the corrosion resistance of the metal matrix. Other factors that will affect the coating deterioration are the corrosivity of the medium and any galvanic interaction from the surrounding material. This paper presents results from a study where different types of WC(Co/Cr/Mo/Ni) powders have been sprayed by HVOF, Diamond Jet 2600 Hybrid equipment. The properties of the sprayed coatings have been verified by metallographic studies and by erosion-corrosion testing both under corrosive and non-corrosive conditions. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of having a metal matrix at least as corrosion resistance as the surrounding materials. When wear exposed components in pipe systems, pumps or valves are coated with a WC type coating, the corrosion resistance of the metal matrix should be compatible to the material of the rest of the system. This is especially important when the surrounding materials are corrosion resistant alloys as stainless steels, where the coatings otherwise will act as an anode.

This study assesses the fireside erosion-corrosion behavior of nanostructured NiCr coatings in a power plant boiler operating at 750 °C. In the experiments, Ni-20Cr nanocrystalline powder was synthesized by ball milling and deposited on T91 boiler steel substrates by HVOF spraying. Coated and uncoated steel specimens were thermally cycled in the superheater zone of a coal fired boiler. After 15 heating and cooling cycles, the specimens were examined and erosion-corrosion kinetics were established via weight-change and thickness-loss measurements. The results show that the nanostructured coatings reduced the erosion-corrosion rate of T91 steel by 85%.

This paper describes an investigation of the influence of impingement angle of a solid/liquid jet upon the erosion corrosion behaviour of a tungsten carbide-cobalt-chromium thermal sprayed coating. The coating type investigated was a nominal WC-10%Co-4%Cr material, HVOF-sprayed onto a stainless steel substrate. This coating was subjected to a submerged impinging jet at 12 m/s of 3.5% NaCl solution containing various concentrations of suspended sand particles at 18°C. The angles of impingement employed were 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 degrees and the measured total weight losses exhibited a significant influence of impingement angle with reduced material losses at more oblique angles of jet impact. The implementation of cathodic protection to the specimens enabled the pure mechanical component of the overall erosion-corrosion damage to be determined and this was also found to be dependent upon the angle of impingement of the liquid/solid stream. In contrast, the pure corrosion component (determined from in-situ electrochemical monitoring) exhibited no systematic trends with impingement angle. The findings are discussed in terms of the detailed erosion-corrosion mechanisms and implications for operational durability of cermet coatings

This paper describes and discusses aspects of the erosion-corrosion behaviour of a WC-Co-Cr, HVOF sprayed coating when subjected to an impinging jet of an aqueous solution of 3.5% NaCl containing solid particles at 18°C. Although pure mechanical erosion has been found to contribute to a large part of material degradation, a considerable amount of material loss can be attributed to the direct and indirect (synergy) effect of corrosion. Aspects of the influence of time, solids loading and impingement angle have been investigated and the mechanisms of erosion-corrosion are discussed.

Sintered protective coatings are a proven technical solution against corrosion and erosion of tubes in biomass- and waste-fired boilers. The main field of application are tubes like superheater tubes or heat exchanger tubes in fluidized-bed installations corrosion endangered by the flue-gas stream. These sintered solutions complete other thermally sprayed coatings in those critical cases, where gas-dense overlays are needed due to corrosive damage. In those cases, where oxidation and erosion dominates, thermal spraying without sintering is remaining as primary solution. The development of Twin coatings out of sintered and non-sintered thermally sprayed alloys is showing a new and interesting alternative for tubes exposed to erosive-corrosive stresses under high temperature conditions.

Solid-particle erosion of metals and alloys at elevated temperatures is one of the main reasons of the damage of components used in the energy production and utilization industries. Application of protective coating systems can be an attractive and economically reasonable solution for preventing the failure and increasing the durability of the components working in severe conditions of high-temperature corrosion and erosion. However, thermal spraying of intermetallic materials that have excellent high-temperature corrosion resistance is limited because of their low ductility. Present work reports the results of the investigation of abrasion wear resistance at elevated temperatures of combined coatings, which include the intermetallic layer. Such iron aluminide layers have been formed as a result of diffusion during the heat post-treatment of arc-prayed metallic coatings combining Fe- and Al-based layers. Post-treatment of arc-sprayed coatings was carried out by means of infrared radiation and induction heating. It was shown that the abrasion resistance of the developed coating tested at elevated temperatures (T > 500 °C) is considerably higher than that of low-alloyed steel and some nickel-based alloys and depends on the test load condition. The high performance of intermetallic-based graded coatings at elevated temperatures makes them interesting for applications as a low-cost erosion-corrosion-resistant material.

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.

Fireside corrosion and erosion of heat exchanger tubes is a serious problem. One of the methods to combat this is by applying corrosion and erosion resistant coatings. Nickel– chromium alloys have already been used as coatings to deal with oxidation environments at high temperature. The wear resistance of these coatings can be improved by adding different hard precipitates such as carbides of refractory metals and cemented carbides. In the present study, various compositions comprising of Ni-Cr with 15, 35, 60 and 100% wt% WC/Co were made using thermal spray grade powders. These were then coated on steel substrate by the HVOF method. After detailed characterization of the coatings, the performance of the coatings at high temperature was studied by exposing the coated samples in the temperature range of 600-700°C. Ni-alloy coatings with moderately (15%) added WC/Co showed better oxidation resistance than coatings with high percentage of WC/Co and also than the pure Ni-alloy coating in high temperature range of 600-800°C. From the characterization, it was found that Ni-Cr alloy with 15% WC/Co gave the optimum results.

In Municipal Waste Incinerators (MWI) considerable corrosion problems of critical components, such as superheater or boiler tubes, are always reported. Especially in modern WTE plants the need of efficiency increase requires operation at higher temperatures, which in turn enhances the corrosion rates. Laser cladding technology was successfully used for the production of anticorrosion and resistant-to-erosion coatings on tubes of superheaters and boilers. Compared to protective coatings produced by flame spraying devices, laser cladding is virtually porosity free and metallurgically bonded to the substrate, ensuring the possibility of bending the clad tubes without any damage such as cracks or spalling. This ability to sustain high deformation rate is absolutely necessary for the construction of superheaters serpentines, opening the door to the production of a whole superheaters assembly protected by a laser cladding. Due to the very low thermal load of the process, if compared to usual GMAW welding, laser cladding allows producing coatings with very low iron content (1-3%) even in a single pass with thickness lying in the range 0.7 -1.0 mm. Therefore laser technology enables to produce high quality coatings with a considerable saving in feeding materials, when compared to conventional GMAW welding where 2.5 - 3 mm thick cladding is necessary to have the same iron content of a single pass laser cladding. In this paper are presented advantages of this new technology and CESI RICERCA facilities for industrial production of MWI superheater and boiler clad tubes by its new automatic diode laser workstation. Results of a campaign of in-plant tests and performances obtained in operation by several laser clad components installed in European MWI plants are also presented.

This study evaluates Fe-Si intermetallic powders as an alternative to powders currently used to coat furnace walls in pulverized coal fired boilers. The developed powder mainly consists of Fe 2 Si, which has a relatively low melting point among iron silicides. The powders were deposited on CrMo steel substrates by HVOF and atmospheric plasma spraying and the resulting coatings were subjected to corrosion and erosion testing. Under conditions simulating the operating environment in a low NO X boiler, the HVOF sprayed Fe-Si coatings exhibited sulfidation resistance nearly equal to that of Cr-Ni layers, and in high-temperature erosion tests, the APS intermetallic coatings with boron additions were found to be more erosion resistant than conventional Cr 3 C 2 -NiCr coatings.

A multiscale model is being built in order to better understand and predict high-temperature corrosion and erosion properties of thermal spray coatings and materials in general. The approach uses molecular dynamics to predict diffusion kinetics, constrained free energy to determine reactions, and FEA to simulate structure. To obtain oxidation behavior data for validation, surface polished bulk materials and thermal spray coatings were exposed to various temperatures and exposure times. Oxidation depth and diffusion were assessed by optical emission spectroscopy and cross-sectional SEM examination and surface oxidation in grain and lamellae boundaries was characterized by 3D profilometry and SEM-EDS. Rough validation of the model was achieved using indentation test data, and a more complete validation will be done when high-temperature erosion test results are available.