Coatings have been produced by HVOF spraying of four different WC-Co powders, using two fuel gases and two oxygen contents in the flame, and characterised in terms of microstructure and resistance to abrasive wear. It is concluded that there is a close correlation between high levels of chemical reaction, occurring during spraying (and possibly during powder production), and poor wear resistance. Good wear resistance is favoured by using low porosity powders, which interact with the atmosphere less readily during spraying, and also by using a flame with a relatively low oxygen content. This probably minimises the degree of reaction by ensuring that conditions are reducing. Use of propylene rather than hydrogen gives coatings with slightly better wear resistance, despite the fact that the flame temperatures are higher. It is concluded that, for this relatively small rise in temperature, the positive effect on inter-splat cohesion seems to outweigh the negative effect of increased decarburisation.

The present paper describes the synthesis of nanocrystalline 316-stainless steel coatings by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying. The feedstock powders were synthesized by mechanical milling to produce flake-shaped agglomerates with an average grain size of less than 100 nm. The powders were introduced into the HVOF spray to successfully produce nanocrystalline coatings. X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the average grain size of the milled powders. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the morphology of the nanometric particles and the microstructure of the as-sprayed coatings. The properties of various coating materials were characterized by microhardness measurements performed on the polished surface of the cross section.

Three types of cobalt-based cermet coatings were prepared by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying using cobalt- clad TiC-50Co, SiC-50 Co and WC-18Co powders. The microstructure of three coatings was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The adhesive strength of the coatings was tested according ASTM C633-79 standard. The hardness of three coatings was measured using a HV-5 Vickers hardness tester. The abrasive wear performance of the coatings was examined by a dry-sand rubber wheel tester according to ASTM G65-61 standard. The results show that the density, thermo physical properties and volume fractions of the solid carbide phases in the spray particle have a significant influence on the adhesive strength of the coatings. The hardness of WC-18Co coating is higher than that of TiC-50Co and SiC-50 coatings and is much lower than WC-17Co coating deposited with sintered-crushed powders. Moreover, the abrasive wear volume loss of the WC-18Co coating is about 60 times higher than that of the WC-12Co coating sprayed by sintered-crushed powder, and greatly lower than that of TiC-50Co and SiC-50 coatings. The wear mechanisms of three coatings are discussed.

This work investigates the sliding wear resistance of alumina coatings deposited on stainless steel substrates by HVOF and air plasma spraying, using fine (1-5 μm) and conventional (10-45 μm) powders. Sliding wear tests were carried out using a sintered WC-Co ball as the counter-body and the wear tracks were examined to obtain a better understanding of wear mechanisms. HVOF coatings showed an order of magnitude improvement in wear resistance compared to their APS counterparts. The disparity in wear performance is correlated to differences in phase composition, porosity, hardness, and fracture toughness as revealed by SEM and XRD analysis and nanoindentation testing. The development of tribofilms and their role in wear behavior is also discussed.

In this work, suspension high-velocity oxyfuel spraying (SHVOF) with radial injection is shown to be a suitable technique for depositing graphene nanoplatelet layers on stainless steel substrates. The effect of feedstock injection parameters such as flowrate, injection angle, and position are investigated at different flame powers by means of high-speed imaging. In dry sliding wear tests, graphene layers on stainless steel exhibited a friction coefficient of around 0.1 after 1000 cycles and less than 0.3 after 2000 cycles. Compared to uncoated stainless steel, this is an order of magnitude improvement.

Influence of the in-flight behaviour of the stainless steel 316 powder particles during high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying on the properties (porosity and level of oxidation) of the coating is studied. Modelling of the in-flight behaviour is undertaken which takes into account the combustion process, gas dynamics, gas-particle interactions, acceleration and deceleration of the gas flow, heat transfer in the particles and full thermal history of the particles including their melting, cooling and the possible solidification. The results obtained are used for the explanation of the experimental data on the coating porosity and level of oxidation.

High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray experiments were carried out using various spray systems. A comparison is made of the systems introduced as a first and second generation (Jet Kote, Diamond Jet, Top Gun, CDS) with the more recently introduced systems of the third generation (JP 5000, DJ 2600, DJ 2700). The comparison is based on particle velocities and experiments to evaluate the heat transfer to the particles. The results show that the systems of the new generation with a converging-diverging nozzle section can produce up to 50% higher particle velocities. The higher kinetic energy allows to reduce the thermal energy and to reduce thermally activated phase transformations of the coating material during the spray process. Carbide coatings produced with one of the new HVOF systems exhibit a higher density, higher bond strength and higher hardness as compared to coatings produced with one of the systems of the first and second HVOF generation. Furthermore, the reduced thermal energy yields less oxidative loss of carbon and opens the possibility to spray coatings with neutral or compressive internal stresses, a prerequisite to produce carbide coatings up to a thickness of several millimeters.

Thermally sprayed Cr 2 O 3 coatings have been shown to provide excellent protection against wear in many engineering applications. These coatings are traditionally applied using air plasma spray technology; however, suspension high velocity oxy fuel thermal spraying (SHVOF) is a promising method to improve coating properties as this technique enables powder feedstocks too small to be processed by mechanical feeders to be sprayed, allowing the production of coatings with improved density and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the addition of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to the liquid feedstock has been shown to improve the mechanical properties of SHVOF sprayed ceramic coatings. In this study, an aqueous based nanometric Cr 2 O 3 suspension and a Cr 2 O 3 suspension with 1 wt.% GNP, prepared via a proprietary process, were sprayed by a SHVOF thermal spray onto 304 stainless steel substrates. The microstructure of Cr 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 + GNP coatings was analyzed using SEM and XRD alongside microhardness, fracture toughness and porosity investigations. Dry sliding wear performance was investigated using a ball on flat tribometer against an alpha alumina ball at loads of 16, 30 and 47 N. The GNP containing coating exhibited improved mechanical properties, however its response to sliding wear was very similar to the non-GNP coating.

Nanocrystalline Inconel 718 and Ni powders were prepared using two approaches: methanol and cryogenic attritor milling. High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying of milled Inconel 718 powders was then utilized to produce Inconel 718 coatings with a nanocrystalline grain size. Isothermal heat treatments were carried out to study the thermal stability of the methanol milled and cryomilled Inconel 718 powders, as well as the HVOF Inconel 718 coatings. All nanocrystalline Inconel 718 powders and coatings studied herein exhibited significant thermal stability against grain growth as evidenced by a grain size around 100 nm following annealing at 1273 K for 60 min. In the case of the cryomilled nanocrystalline Ni powders, isothermal grain growth behavior was studied, from which the parameters required for the prediction of the microstructural evolution during a non-isothermal annealing were acquired. The theoretical simulation of grain growth behavior of nanocrystalline Ni during non-isothermal annealing conditions yields results that are in good correspondence with the experimental results.

A reaction-formed NiAl intermetallic compound (IMC) powder has been deposited as a coating onto low carbon steel test coupons by the High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) process using both gaseous and liquid fuels. The microstructure of this coating has been examined using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction and was found to depend on spraying conditions. Oxidation tests on the coating in air, between the temperatures of 800°C-1200°C, revealed that an α-alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) scale formed on the coating's surface. At 1200°C, a nickel spinel (NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 ) and haematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) phases were observed. Diffusion studies were performed to calculate an activation energy for iron ion diffusion in NiAl.

Mullite coatings (3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 ) were deposited by suspension thermal spraying of micron-sized (D50 = 1.8 µm) feedstock powders, using a high-velocity-oxy-fuel gun (HVOF) operated on propylene (DJ-2700) and hydrogen fuels (DJ-2600). The liquid carrier employed in this approach allows for controlled injection of much finer particles than in conventional thermal spraying, leading to coatings with low porosity and fine and homogeneous porosity distribution, making this process potentially suitable for creating thin layers with low gas permeability. In-flight particle states were measured for a number of spray conditions of varying fuel-to-oxygen ratios and standoff distances and related to the resulting microstructure, stoichiometry, phase composition (EDS, SEM, XRD) and hardness (VHN 300gf) of the coatings. In an attempt to retain the crystalline phase in the coatings, HVOF operating conditions were varied to limit in-flight particle melting. However, fully crystalline coatings were only obtained by gradually heating the coating during deposition to temperatures above 400°C.

Improvement of the high velocity oxy-fuel deposition (HVOF) process in the last decade has enhanced the microstructure of coatings in order to better perform against wear and corrosion. Indeed cermet and metal HVOF coatings are reliable and have excellent performance under slurry erosion and provide therefore an alternative to the use of high-priced material. This paper presents the results of a study undertaken within the core research program of the National Research Council of Canada technology group in surface engineering, "SURFTEC", in which the performance of ten HVOF erosion-resistant coatings was evaluated. Ten different types of HVOF coatings were studied including: six grades of WC with either Co or a Ni based matrix, one grade of Cr 3 C 2 in a Ni-Cr matrix, and three grade of metallic alloy: Ni alloy, Co alloy and a SS 316- L. The performance of coatings was evaluated with respect to: the volume ratio and composition of metallic binder in carbide coatings, type of carbide, coating microstructure, impinging angle and the size of the erodent particles. All coatings were produced using the HVOF JP-5000 system controlled by the Hawcs-ll controller. Slurry erosion tests were conducted with a jet impingement rig with a 10 %w/w alumina particle/water slurry. The volume loss of material under various slurry erosion conditions was related to the coating properties and microstructure. Results indicate that the behavior of HVOF sprayed materials is dependent on the erodent particle size, to the erosion impinging angle to some extent and to the corrosion resistance of the cermet matrix.

Tungsten carbide-12 wt.% cobalt (WC-12Co) coatings and chromium plating are used to provide wear resistant surfaces in gas turbine applications. These treatments provide surfaces with hardnesses greater than 60 Rockwell C. In addition, a surface finish better than 8 microinches RMS is required for optimum performance. To achieve this surface finish, diamond grinding is required. The diamond grinding step adds considerable cost to the product and economical benefits could be achieved if more conventional grinding techniques were incorporated. A program was initiated to develop an alternative thermal spray coating, with a target hardness lower than 60 Rockwell C, but high enough to provide the wear resistance required. Spray development was conducted on five commercially available materials using the Diamond Jet 2600 high velocity oxy-fuel process. Laboratory evaluation included coating microstructure, macro- and microhardness, bond strength, salt spray corrosion, and cyclic compression tests.

Improvement of the high velocity oxy-fuel deposition (HVOF) process in the last decade has led to coatings with significant improved microstructures for better protection against wear and corrosion. HVOF coatings of cermet and metallic materials provide protection against erosion and are therefore good alternatives to the use of high-priced material. This paper presents the results of a study undertaken within the core research program of the National Research Council of Canada technology group in surface engineering, "SURFTEC", in which the performance of ten HVOF erosion-resistant coatings were evaluated under both dry and slurry erosion. Ten different types of HVOF coatings were studied including: six grades of WC with either Co or a Ni based matrix, one grade of Cr3C2 in a Ni-Cr matrix, and three grades of metallic alloy: Ni alloy, Co alloy and a SS 316-L. Coatings performance was evaluated with respect to the volume ratio and composition of metallic binder in carbide coatings, type of carbide, coating microstructure, impinging angle and the size of the erodent particles. All coatings were produced using the HVOF IP5000 system controlled by the Hawcs-II controller. Slurry jet erosion tests were conducted using a 10 %w/w alumina particle/water slurry. Two alumina particle sizes, 320 and 80 grit (nominal grain diameters 35 μm and 200 μm, respectively) were used. The nominal impact velocity of the slurry was 15 m/s and the nozzle-specimen distance 100 mm. Dry erosion tests were conducted using 50 μm diameter alumina particles projected onto coated flat test coupons through a carbide nozzle of diameter 1.14mm with a particle velocity of 84 m/s at a feed rate of 2 ±1 g/min. let impingement angles of 90° and 20° were used for both dry and slurry erosion tests. The volume loss of material under various erosion conditions was related to the coating properties and microstructure. Results indicate that the coating behavior is dependent on the erodent particle size, the erosion impinging angle to some extent and for slurry erosion, to the corrosion resistance of the cermet matrix.

Over the last years, the grain size reduction to the nanometric scale has experienced an increasing interest because of its enhanced properties. This study is based on WC-Co cermet materials, which have a great application in the wear resistance materials field. In the Thermal Spray Center (CPT) of the University of Barcelona, two coatings using nanostructured and bimodal WC-Co cermet powders have been obtained by means of High Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF) technique. Both were sprayed under the same spraying parameters. Structural characterization for both feedstock materials and coatings have been performed using XRD, SEM and TEM. The friction wear resistance of the coatings has been studied by Ball-on-Disk test (ASTM G99-90), and the abrasive wear resistance has been quantified by Rubber-Wheel test (ASTM G65-91). Finally, the corrosion resistance has been studied by electrochemical techniques and a salt fog spray test. The nanostructured coating shows more hardness, but the bimodal coating shows better abrasive and friction wear resistance. Both coatings shows good corrosion resistance, better than the conventional coatings of WC-Co. The bimodal powder have the added advantage of being not as expensive as the nanostructured powder, and even providing better properties.

A special HVOF gun is used for aerodynamic research on internal flows of gas and particles in HVOF gun. The gun has rectangular cross-sectional area and has sidewalls of optical glass or transparent acrylic resin. Compressed air is used as process gas instead of combustion gas to visualize internal flow of the gun. The high-speed gas flows including shock waves in the gun are visualized by Schlieren technique. Particle trajectories in the gun are also visualized by high-speed digital video camera. The observation of erosion pattern created by particle collision on the barrel wall helps understand the particle trajectories throughout the barrel.

Nanostructured titania (TiO 2 ) coatings were produced by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying. They were engineered as a possible candidate to replace hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings produced by air plasma spray (APS) on implants. They exhibited mechanical properties, such as hardness and bond strength, much superior to those of APS HA coatings. In addition to these characteristics, the surface of the nanostructured coatings exhibited regions with nanotextured features originating from the semi-molten nanostructured feedstock particles. This nanotexture is considered an asset, due to its better interaction with the adhesion proteins of the osteoblast cells, such as fibronectin, which exhibit dimensions in the order of nanometers. Osteoblast cell culture demonstrated that this type of coating supported osteoblast cell growth and did not negatively affect cell viability.

Thermal sprayed (HVOF) cermet coatings (WC-17Ni) with and without solid lubricant (PTFE) were deposited on steel disks for sliding wear evaluation using the ball on disk configuration. Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) balls were slid against coated disks. The coated disks were ground and lapped to roughness of 0.3µm Ra and 0.05µm Ra respectively. A significant reduction in the average coefficient of friction was observed when solid lubricant was incorporated into the cermet coating. There were reductions in average coefficients of friction from 0.84 to 0.55 for ground disks and from 0.65 to 0.48 for lapped disks. These represented reductions in coefficient of friction of 34.5% and 26% by incorporating solid lubricant into the ground disks and lapped disks respectively. The inclusion of solid lubricant in the coating also resulted in significant reduction in the average specific wear rate for both the ball and disk. Abrasive wear was the predominant wear mechanism observed on the worn samples’ surfaces using optical microscopy. A conceptual wear mechanism with the introduction of solid lubricant into the cermet composite coating was proposed. A hypothesis on the formation of lubricating PTFE films on contacting surfaces during sliding wear was supported with elemental mapping by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersion X-ray (SEM/EDX) analysis of worn ball surfaces after sliding against disk counterfaces deposited with composite cermet coating containing solid lubricant. The EDX mapping showed a homogenous distribution of fluorine element across the surfaces analyzed.

In suspension high-velocity oxyfuel (SHVOF) thermal spraying, the suspension is usually injected axially into the combustion chamber. Deposition of oxygen sensitive materials such as graphene can be difficult using this approach as the particles degrade with extended exposure to oxygen at high temperatures. Radial injection outside of the nozzle, however, reduces in-flight particle time thereby accommodating oxygen sensitive nanomaterials. The aim of this study is to investigate how radial injection parameters affect in-flight particle conditions during SHVOF spraying. The models used in this work are shown to accurately predict flame temperature in the combustion chamber for an Al 3 O 2 suspension. Experimental observations of the liquid jet obtained using high-speed imaging are compared to numerically predicted values. The results indicate that in-flight particle characteristics can be improved by more than 30% in SHVOF spraying by optimizing the suspension flow rate and radial injection angle.

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.