Advanced Materials Research Vols. 97-101

Abstract: Co-based composite coatings reinforced by TiN particles were fabricated on Ni-based superalloy substrate by using a 5 kW CO2 laser. The microstructures and phases constitution of the composite coating were studied by means of optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microhardness and wear resistance of the coating were also examined. The results showed that the composite coating was mainly composed of γ-Co, TiN, TiC, (Cr, W)23C6 and Co3Ti. And different solidification morphologies, such as planar, cellular and dendrite, were obtained. Structural transformations were attributed to the temperature gradient and solidification rate in metal-melting region. It was found that the microhardness of the composite coating was enhanced prominently as compared to the substrate region, which should be due to the undissolved TiN and other new complicated phase. Friction and wear tests without lubrication showed that the addition of TiN particles into Co-based coating can improve its wear resistance significantly without evidently increasing the friction coefficient of coating.

Abstract: As an active metal, chromium is easy to form oxides film on the surface, which acts as an obstacle to the nitrogen diffusion in plasma nitriding. Rare earth (RE) was introduced into the conventional plasma nitriding (CPN) to improve the nitriding behavior. Chromium coatings were treated by CPN and rare earth plasma nitriding (REPN) at 620°C for 5 and 10 hours respectively. Comparative study showed that the addition of RE prompted greatly the formation of higher nitrogen containing phase CrN, rather than Cr2N. It created a crack-free, much denser and thicker nitrides layer, which contributed to the increase of hardness. The dynamic ultra micro hardness of the samples treated by REPN was nearly 1600GPa, which was much higher than the original and the CPN treated samples. The conclusion could be drawn that compared to CPN, REPN are more efficient for chromium coating nitriding.

Abstract: Micro-arc oxidation coatings were prepared on Al-Si alloys surface by using a self-made micro-arc oxidation equipment. Its characterizations were systematically detected by Vickers hardness tester, profilometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Reciprocating sliding tribological tests without lubricant of the micro-arc oxidation coating and its substrate alloy have been carried out under normal load of 5 N and displacement amplitudes of 2 mm. Dynamic analyses in combination with microscopic examinations were performed in detail through optical microscope (OM), SEM and EDX. The experimental results indicated that the MAO coating, with rough surface, high hardness and typical porous ceramic structure, is mainly consist of Al2O3, SiO2 and Al2SiO5 phases. The elementary substance Si and Al are not presented nearly on surface of coatings since the alloy is oxidated adequately during the micro arc oxidation process. Three stages can be observed in the friction coefficient curves both for the MAO coating and its substrate. The COF of the substrate was very low in initial stage, then a rapid ascend to a higher level and fluctuated in a larger range. But for the MAO coating, since its higher hardness and rough surface, the COF was higher than its substrate in initial stage. After a gradually ascent stage, the COF reached a steady state with a small range fluctuation and higher values. The wear mechanism for Al-Si alloy was main adhesive wear, abrasive wear, delamination and slight oxidative wear. After the micro-arc oxidation, the wear resistance of Al-Si alloy was greatly improved, and the wear mechanism of the MAO coating was the combination of delamination, abrasive wear, slight oxidative wear and some material transferred from the ball specimen.

Abstract: The erosion wear behavior of TiN coatings with growth defects was studied. The TiN coatings were produced on a hard metal by ion beam enhanced pulsed filtered vacuum cathode arc deposition. The erosion wear was tested with a gas blast apparatus. In the test, TiN coatings were impacted at an impingement angle of 90° by angular SiC solid particles with an average diameter of 124um. The maximum depth of the erosion scar measured by the optical profiler was used to evaluate the erosion wear loss of the coatings. The coatings proved to have much lower erosion rate than that of the substrate material and consequently, the erosion rate increased significantly to the high level of the hard metal substrate after the coatings were penetrated. The failure mechanism was revealed by examining the surface morphologies of the coatings before and after the erosion test. The erosive wear of the TiN coatings with growth defects behaved as typical brittle materials. The damage mechanism of the coatings with growth defects was described.

Abstract: The nitrided layer on the surface of LZ50 (0.50% C) carbon steel was prepared by ion nitriding technique and its characterizations were detected by using Vickers hardness tester, profilometer, scanning electric microscope (SEM), optical microscope (OM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Rotational fretting is one of basic running modes in contact configuration of ball-on-flat, to which was paid little attention. The rotational fretting wear behaviors of the nitrided layer and its substrate steel were comparatively studied in dry condition under varied angular displacement amplitudes (θ) in range of 0.125º-1º, imposed normal load (Fn) of 20 N and a constant rotational speed of 0.2º/s. The experimental results showed that the nitrided layer presented rough and porous surface and high hardness was mainly consist of ε-Fe2-3N and γ׳-Fe4N phases. Compared with the substrate steel, the nitrided layer had a significant effect on reducing the friction coefficient and improving the fretting wear resistance, though the nitrided layer almost didn’t change the fretting running regimes of the substrate steel. In the partial slip regime, lower friction coefficients and slight damage appeared for the nitrided layer due to the coordination of elastic deformation of contact zones. In the slip regime, the friction coefficient of the nitrided layer was lower than that of the substrate in the initial stage as a result of the preventing plastic deformation by its high hardness surface. The rotational fretting wear mechanism of the nitrided layer in the slip regime was mainly identified as abrasive wear, oxidative wear and delamination. As a result, the nitrided layer presented a better capability for alleviating rotational fretting wear.

Abstract: In this experiment Al2O3 gradient ceramics coating is cladded on the high Cr cast steel by 5kW crosscurrent CO2 laser with Ni-based alloy which is used as transitive metal. The microstructure is analyzed with optics microstructure analyzer and the crystal grain characteristic is studied. The microstructure of the laser cladding layer have the plane crystal zone, the butcher crystal zone, the dendrite zone and the surface equiaxed grain zone that grow along the substrate. The microstructure of the coating compared with the substrate is extremely tiny, and the microstructure of the multi-layer cladding presents stratification. The phase composition of the clad coating is composed primarily of NiAl intermetallic compound, but also includes γ-FeNi and a little Ni3Al compound. In the coating the Al2O3 pellet that some present the unit crystal form, and some little accumulate in together, plays the dissemination strengthening role in the coating material. The massive twin crystals and the dislocation staffing are presented in the clad coating.

Abstract: TBCs is a type of multilayer systems, mainly used in the thermal parts of aero engine, acting as the part of heat insulation. The using temperature of parts can be improved because of the being of TBCs. TBCs is one of the most advanced high temperature coatings, and it has many perfectly properties, including the chemical property at high temperature, anti-erode and thermal insulation [1,2]. If TBCs spall from the base, the base will expose in the high temperature, then, rapidly destroy. TBCs generally include three layers, superalloy, bonding layer, insulation layer, and the thermally grown oxide (TGO) between the bonding layer and insulation layer. Justly because of the being of TGO, the TBCs easily failed [3,4]. Although many researchers studied the oxidation of TBCs, the investigation of the relations between oxidation and oxide temperature has not been done by far. So, the work put the emphases on the discussion of APS TBCs’ oxidation property in different temperatures by experiment.

Abstract: Zinc oxide nanorods were grown on Si (100) and Platinum coated glass substrate by the aqueous chemical growth (ACG) in aqueous solution that contained zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)2•6H20) and hexamethylenetetramine (C6H12N4). The obtained ZnO nanorods are uniformly distributed on the Platinum coated glass substrate surface from 1.5 h to 3 h growth time. Branched hexagonal rods were also found growth on these uniform nanorods. Branched hexagonal rods were found on Si (100) from 2 h to 3 h growth time. A small number of flower-like structures compared to the majority oval type structure suggest that secondary nucleation had occurred during the process of growth. All of the high intensity peaks, including the strong (101) peak, are assigned to wurtzite ZnO hexagonal indicating that the product is pure ZnO. The results found in this study revealed that the type substrate plays a role in determining the surface morphology of ZnO growth.

Abstract: Compound ceramic coatings with the main crystalline of Al2TiO5 (as-coated samples) were prepared in situ on the surface Ti-6Al-4V alloy by means of pulsed bi-polar micro-arc oxidation (MAO) in a NaAlO2 solution. The coated samples were calcined in argon and air at 1000 oC, respectively. The phase composition, surface morphology of the ceramic coatings were investigated by XRD, SEM and XRF. The samples were treated in argon and the as-coated ones were calcined in air at 1000 oC to study the anti-oxidation properties of the samples. The results show that Al2TiO5 was decomposed very soon and transformed into α-Al2O3 and rutile TiO2 in air. However, Al2TiO5 was decomposed very slowly in argon and the final coating surface was completely α-Al2O3. Also, the morphology of the ceramic coatings after the calcination was different. The coatings calcined in argon were fined; grains and pores were smaller than those in air. High temperature oxidation occurred very strongly in the TC4 substrate, the weight gains of the as-coated ceramic coatings and the treated ones in argon were nearly changing in the form of parabola, and the weight gains of the coated samples treated in argon were comparatively lower than those of the as-coated samples.

Abstract: Three composite coatings were prepared by nitriding-sulfurizing processing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy at different sulfurizing temperatures. The microstructure and phase structure of the coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Furthermore, the hardness of the coatings was measured. The effect of the sulfurizing temperature on microstructure of coatings was investigated. The results indicated that the composite coating was mainly comprised of titanium nitrides, titanium sulfides, and titanium. It was found that the phase composition of composite coating changed with the variation of the sulfurizing temperature.