Novel utilization of powder-suspension hybrid feedstock in HVAF spraying to deposit improved wear and corrosion resistant coatings

Deployment of a suspension feedstock has been known to alleviate problems associated with using sub-micron and nanosized powder feedstock for thermal spraying of monolithic as well as powder-suspension ‘hybrid’ composite coatings. However, a powder-suspension hybrid feedstock has never been previously used in high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) spraying. In this work, for the very first time, a chromium carbide (Cr3C2) suspension has been co-sprayed along with an Inconel-625 (IN-625) powder by the HVAF process as an illustrative case study. Two variants of the IN-625 + Cr3C2 hybrid coatings were produced by varying relative powder-suspension feed rates. For comparison, pure IN-625 coating was also deposited utilizing identical spray parameters. Detailed microstructural characterization, porosity content, hardness measurement and phase analysis of the as-deposited coatings was performed. The suspension-derived carbides were retained in the bulk of the coating, resulting in higher hardness. In the dry sliding wear test, the hybrid coatings demonstrated lower wear rate and higher coefficient of friction (CoF) compared to the conventional, powder-derived IN-625 coatings. Furthermore, the wear rate improved slightly with an increase in Cr3C2 content in the hybrid coating. Post-wear analysis of the worn coating, worn alumina ball and the wear debris was performed to understand the wear mechanisms and material transfer in the investigated coatings. In the potentiodynamic polarization test, higher corrosion resistance for hybrid coatings than conventional IN-625 coatings was achieved, indicating that the incorporation of a secondary, carbide phase in the IN-625 matrix did not compromise its corrosion performance. This work demonstrates a novel approach to incorporate any finely distributed second phase in HVAF sprayed coatings to enhance their performance when exposed to harsh environments

Effect of autoclave sterilisation and heat activated sodium hypochlorite irrigation on the performance of nickel-titanium rotary files against cyclic fatigue

The present study aims to assess the impact of heat-activated sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and/or autoclave sterilisation on the cyclic fatigue resistance (CFR) of heat-treated nickel-titanium rotary files used in root canal treatment. The CFR of One Curve (OC) files was evaluated under the following conditions: as received (Group 1; control), immersion in NaOCl at 23 ± 1ºC (Group 2), immersion in NaOCl at 60 ± 1ºC (Group 3), autoclave sterilisation at 135 1ºC (Group 4), combined treatment of autoclave sterilisation and immersion in NaOCl at 23 ± 1ºC (Group 5), and combined treatment of autoclave sterilisation and immersion in NaOCl at 60 ± 1ºC (Group 6). A simulated root canal in a zirconia block was utilised to test the performance of the files. All the types of treatments resulted in significant reductions in fracture resistance of the OC files. Immersion of the files in NaOCl at 23ºC revealed the smallest reduction, while combined treatment of autoclaving and immersion in NaOCl at 60ºC caused the greatest reduction. Autoclave sterilisation or exposure of OC files to 2.5% NaOCl adversely affect the cyclic fatigue life and increasing solution temperature or combined treatment caused additionally significant reduction in CFR

A Comparative Study on Ni-Based Coatings Prepared by HVAF, HVOF, and APS Methods for Corrosion Protection Applications

Selection of the thermal spray process is the most important step towards a proper coating solution for a given application as important coating characteristics such as adhesion, and microstructure, etc. are highly dependent on it. In the present work, a process-microstructure-properties-performance correlation study was performed in order to figure out the main characteristics and corrosion performance of the coatings produced by different thermal spray techniques such as high-velocity airfuel (HVAF), high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF), and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Previously optimized HVOF and APS process parameters were used to deposit Ni, NiCr, and NiAl coatings and compare with HVAF-sprayed coatings with randomly selected process parameters. As the HVAF process presented the best coating characteristics and corrosion behavior, various process parameters,e.g., feed rate and stand off distance (SoD) were investigated to systematically optimize the HVAF coatings in terms of high density and corrosion properties. The coatings with lower porosity and better corrosion behavior were obtained at an average SoD of 300 mm for the Ni and NiAl coatings and a SoDof 250 mm for the NiCr coating. Increasing the feed rate to 150 g/min in the Ni and NiAl coatings decreased the coating pores and accordingly increased the Rp.</p

Isothermal oxidation behavior of HVAF-sprayed Ni and NiCr coatings in H 2 -H 2 O environment

The formation of a protective chromia scale on stainless steels is known to be suppressed by the presence of water vapor in reducing conditions. Thermal spray coatings present a promising approach to improve the durability of steels by transferring the first line of oxidation attack from the bulk steel to the coating. In the present work, isothermal oxidation behavior of Ni and NiCr coatings deposited by High-Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) process on 304L stainless steel was investigated at 600 degrees C for 168 h. Ar-10%H-2-20%H2O was selected as the oxidation environment to study the oxidation behavior of the coatings in a low pO(2) environment containing H2 and H2O. BIB/ SEM, EDS, and XRD techniques were used to characterize the as-sprayed coatings and to investigate the oxidation mechanisms in the coated samples. Results showed that both Ni and NiCr coatings imparted oxidation protection to the 304L substrate. The chromia-forming 304L steel presented a duplex but non-protective oxide scale comprising of an outer Fe3O4 layer on an inner (Fe, Cr)(3)O-4-spinel oxide. In contrast, the NiCr coating presented superior oxidation behavior due to the formation of a continuous, thin, and slow-growing Cr2O3 scale. The Ni coating, too, protected the substrate owing to limited nucleation and growth of the deleterious NiO scale in the low-oxygen -activity environment. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p

Isothermal oxidation of HVAF-sprayed Ni-based chromia, alumina and mixed-oxide scale forming coatings in ambient air

The power generation industry has been progressively shifting towards higher operating steam temperatures and pressures to increase efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. However, higher operating temperatures lead to more aggressive oxidation of the boiler components. A promising route to improve the durability of degradation-prone components is through deployment of high-performance coatings. In the present work, four Ni-based coatings - Ni21Cr, Ni5Al, Ni21Cr9Mo, and Ni21Cr7Al1Y - thermally sprayed by the high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) technique on boiler steel (16Mo3) substrates were investigated. The isothermal oxidation behavior of the coatings was studied in ambient air environment at 600 °C for different time intervals i.e. 1, 5, 10, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h. The oxidation behavior of the as-sprayed and polished coatings was compared. The protective α-Al2O3 was not detected on the exposed alumina-forming NiAl coating. On the other hand, Cr2O3 along with a small amount of NiO were the main oxidation products on the surface of the NiCr and NiCrMo coatings, and were found to be relatively less protective. The mixed-oxide scale forming NiCrAlY coatings showed the best oxidation resistance due to the formation of a thin and slow-growing Al2O3 scale along with Ni(Al,Cr)2O4 and Cr2O3. The polished coatings were found to significantly reduce the oxidation rate in each case as the protective scale-forming elements were more uniformly supplied to the surface oxide scale by removing the surface asperities. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.</p

Oxidation Behavior of HVAF-Sprayed NiCoCrAlY Coating in H-2-H2O Environment

Isothermal oxidation behavior of an HVAF-sprayed NiCoCrAlY coating on AISI 304L was studied in an Ar-10 %H-2-20 %H2O environment at 600 A degrees C. Techniques such as BIB/SEM, EDS, and XRD were used to comprehensively characterize the coating and the coating/substrate interface to investigate the oxidation mechanisms. Results were also compared with those obtained from an uncoated AISI 304L substrate. The alumina-forming NiCoCrAlY coating was found to exhibit superior oxidation behavior due to the formation of a slow-growing and protective Al2O3 scale, while the chromia-forming bare 304L substrate lost its protective capability due to the formation of a duplex [Fe3O4 on (Fe,Cr)(3)O-4 spinel oxide] corrosion product layer

Microstructure Effect of Intermediate Coat Layer on Corrosion Behavior of HVAF-Sprayed Bi-Layer Coatings

The inherent pores and carbides of Cr3C2-NiCr coatings significantly reduce the corrosion resistance, the former by providing preferential paths for ion diffusion and the latter by forming cathodic sites in galvanic couples (between NiCr and Cr3C2). Adding a dense intermediate layer (intermediate coat layer) between the Cr3C2-NiCr coating (top coat) and substrate increases the corrosion protection of the coating if the layer acts as cathode in connection to the top coat. In the present work, NiCr, NiAl, and NiCoCrAlY layers were deposited by high-velocity air fuel(HVAF) process as intermediate coat layers for the Cr3C2-NiCr top coat. Effects of coating microstructure on corrosion behavior of single- and bi-layer coatings were studied by open circuitpotential (OCP) and polarization tests in 3.5 wt% NaCl at room temperature. A zero resistanceammeter (ZRA) technique was used to study the galvanic corrosion of the coupledtop and intermediate coat layers. Methods such as SEM and XRD were employed to characterize the as-sprayed and corroded coatings and investigate the corrosion mechanisms.The results showed that the NiCoCrAlY coating not only presented a more positive corrosion potential (Ecorr) than the Cr3C2-NiCr coating, but also provided a better passive layer than the single-phase NiCr and NiAl coatings.</p