In this study, the dust explosion properties of aluminum, titanium, zinc, and iron based alloy powders were evaluated by JIS Z 8818: “Test method for minimum explosible concentration of combustible dusts,” IEC 61241-2-3 (1994-09) Section 3: “Method for determining minimum ignition energy in dust-air mixtures,” and JIS Z 8817: “Test method for explosion pressure and rate of pressure rise of combustible dusts.” The test are described and the results are presented and discussed.

Effects of diffusion treatment were investigated on the interface microstructure between a Co-based self-fluxing alloy coating and a mild steel substrate to improve the adhesion strength. Diffusion treatments were carried out at 1373 K to 1418 K for 600 s to 7200 s in an Ar atmosphere. Diffusion treatment improves the metallurgical bonding at the interface due to the diffusion of Co, Cr, W, Ni, and Si from the sprayed coating layer to the substrate and that of Fe and Mn from the substrate to the coating. This mutual diffusion forms a precipitate-free diffusion layer at the interface, and the width of this layer increases in a parabolic manner as temperature and holding time increase. The apparent activation energy for the formation of precipitate-free diffusion layer was evaluated as about 360 kJ/mol. The shearing adhesion strength of the diffusion-treated coating has been remarkably improved to 200 – 400 N/mm 2 in proportion to the width of the precipitate-free diffusion layer formed along the interface, although the shearing adhesion strength of the as-sprayed coating was only 30 N/mm 2 .

This paper describes microstructure control aimed for wear-resistance improvement of Co-based (Co-Cr-W-B-Si) self-fluxing alloy coating by diffusion treatment. The diffusion treatments of thermally sprayed Co-based self-fluxing alloy coating on steel substrate were carried out at 1370K to 1450K for 600s to 6000s under an Ar gas atmosphere. Microstructural variations of the coating and the interface between the substrate and the coating were investigated in detail. A proper diffusion treatment precipitates two kinds of fine compounds in Co-based matrix. XRD and EPMA analysis revealed these precipitates to be a chromium boride dissolving cobalt and a wolfram boride containing cobalt and chromium. The size of each precipitate became larger with increasing treatment temperature and time. A coating with the proper size borides showed a superior wear-resistance.