One candidate alternative to chrome plating and hard anodizing is a tungsten carbide (WC) coating applied by the High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) process. HVOF WC coatings are currently being evaluated in many service life tests, including fatigue. The purpose of this paper is to compare the fatigue life of HVOF WC coated specimens with the fatigue life of hard anodized and bare aluminum specimens. This work examines WC thermal spray coatings as candidates for replacement of hard chrome plating and hard anodizing in aircraft and helicopter applications such as landing gear. In fatigue testing, the results showed an expected fatigue deficit for hard anodizing as compared to bare aluminum. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

Thermal barrier coatings are used in several industries to improve thermal efficiency, for example, of gas turbine engines. The performance and life of thermal barrier coated components depend on many factors. One important factor is the residual stresses in the coating and substrate. Residual stresses can be influenced by the parameters of the application process. Parameters affecting residual stresses include the condition of the substrate, the type of spray application process, and the prespray heat treatment of the substrate. Residual stresses can also change significantly during the life of a thermal barrier coated material. The goal of this work is to quantitatively evaluate the changes in residual stresses of the thermal barrier coating and the substrate during the stages of processing and during simulated in-service testing. Through-thickness residual stresses distributions of the coating and the substrate material were determined using a destructive laboratory method, called the "Modified Layer Removal Method." Thin thermal barrier coatings (less than 0.5 mm) were evaluated in this work. Residual stresses in thermal barrier coated specimens were evaluated at three stages of the processing history: (1) after grit blasting of the Hastelloy substrate, (2) after application of the bond coat, and (3) after spraying the top coat. The effect on residual stresses of substrate temperature during spraying is examined. Changes in the residual stresses for thin thermal barrier coatings are shown at selected stages during the processing history of the coated materials. Differences between residual stresses at the selected stages are identified and discussed. Changes to residual stress distribution due to in-service conditions are examined. The effect of bond coat oxidation is examined by long-term, high-temperature exposure. Also, residual stresses are evaluated for thick thermal barrier coatings after thermal shock testing.

Tungsten carbide cobalt thermal spray coatings are used in the aircraft industry to reduce wear damage of lightweight metals such as titanium The performance and life of tungsten carbide (WC-Co) coated titanium materials depend on many factors. An important factor that has received increased attention in thermal spray research is the residual stresses in the coating and substrate. Residual stresses depend on the parameters of the application process. Parameters affecting residual stresses include the prespray treatment of the substrate material (grit blasting, shot peening) and the type of spray application process (HVOF, plasma arc) During the in-service life of a WC-Co coated material, residual stresses can change significantly. The goal of this work is to quantitatively evaluate the changes in residual stresses of the substrate and the WC-Co coating during various stages of processing. A destructive laboratory method, called the "Modified Layer Removal Method," was used to evaluate the through-thickness residual stresses of the WC-Co coating and the titanium substrate material. Residual stresses are determined for three conditions: (1) shot peened, (2) shot peened and grit blasted, and (3) shot-peened, grit blasted and thermal spray coated. The changes in the residual stresses are shown at selected stages during the processing history of the coated materials. Differences between residual stress levels at selected stages are identified and discussed. The effect of coating thickness and HVOF application process on the residual stress in the coating is also examined.