Search Results (41)

Marine engineering equipment operates under extreme conditions such as high salinity, humidity, and flow velocity during marine resource exploration. These harsh environments impose strict requirements on surface performance, especially in terms of wear and corrosion resistance. Wear-resistant coatings are increasingly regarded as a crucial surface engineering approach to mitigate multi-mechanism degradation and improve the long-term reliability of marine equipment. In this review, the typical wear mechanisms in marine environments are systematically analyzed. Corresponding to different service scenarios, the main categories of coating materials, such as metal matrix composite coatings, cermet coatings, functionally graded coatings, and nanolayered coatings are summarized in terms of their structure and performance characteristics. Furthermore, mainstream fabrication techniques, including high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF), high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF), laser cladding, cold spray, and physical/chemical vapor deposition (PVD/CVD), are reviewed with respect to their influence on coating micro-structure and properties. Standardized evaluation methods for coating performance are also discussed. Finally, the current research challenges are identified, and future development trends are outlined, with an emphasis on multifunctional, intelligent, and environmentally friendly coating systems. This work aims to provide a systematic reference and theoretical basis for the design and application of wear-resistant coatings in marine environments. Full article

HVAF WC-10Co-4Cr coating has been applied to the extreme wear protection of lightweight titanium alloy workpieces. However, the new generation of lightweight titanium alloy inner bore wear-resistant workpieces is faced with strong wear and instantaneous high-temperature airflow erosion during service, which requires a WC-10Co-4Cr wear-resistant coating with low surface roughness, high thickness and high toughness. In addition, its small diameter inner hole also requires the rapid heating, melting and acceleration performance of sprayed powder during spraying. At present, the finest spraying powder used in this system is generally in the range of 5–15 μm, which faces difficulties in meeting the above requirements. In order to solve this problem, the preparation of 2–10 μm spherical spray powder was studied though a spray granulation experiment, and the change law of powder morphology with the solid content of pre-spray slurry was explored. The suitable binder was selected through a slurry sedimentation test and viscosity test, so that the gunable solid content of the pre-sprayed slurry was reduced from 60 wt.% to 12.5% by weight, which significantly reduces the particle size of the powder obtained by spray granulation. When the solid content of pre-sprayed slurry is 12.5 wt.%, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) is selected as the binder, and the binder content is 2 wt.%, the particle size range of powder obtained by spray granulation process reaches 2–10 μm, and the median particle size reaches 5 μm. After heat treatment, the powder is spherical and dense inside. The research results provide technical support for preparing high-performance ultrafine WC-10Cr-4Co spherical powder with wear-resistant coating for light titanium alloy. Full article

The effects of microstructure, density, and porosity of a FeCoNiCrAl high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating, fabricated using an internal diameter high-velocity air fuel (ID-HVAF) torch (model: i7 ID), on the isothermal oxidation behavior were investigated. This study pioneers the use of the ID-HVAF i7 ID system for HEA bond coat manufacturing, achieving a highly dense microstructure because of its low-operating spray temperature technique. To elucidate these effects, the microstructure and chemistry of the coating, the growth of the thermally grown oxides (TGOs), the phase transformation of alumina, and the oxidation rate were investigated at different temperatures. After 50 h at 1000 °C, 1100 °C, and 1150 °C, a dense, uniform, and thin alumina TGO layer (1.8 μm) was observed. The results demonstrate that the oxidation resistance of the HEA coating is enhanced because of the dense microstructure achieved via HVAF-i7, characterized by low porosity and uniform phase distribution, which contribute to improved barrier properties against oxygen diffusion. The growth of the TGO layer is controlled, resulting in a dense and continuous TGO layer. However, with increasing temperature and time, the alumina TGO layer becomes spalled, which is attributed to the absence of reactive elements. Overall, this study reveals that the FeCoNiCrAl HEA exhibits significant potential for enhancing oxidation resistance at high temperatures. Full article

Aircraft gas turbine blades operate in aggressive, generally oxidizing, atmospheres. A solution to mitigate the degradation and improve the performance of such components is the deposition of thermal barrier coatings systems (TBCs). High-velocity air fuel (HVAF) is a very efficient process for coating deposition in TBC systems, particularly for bond coats in aerospace applications. However, its low-temperature variant has received little attention in the literature and could be a promising alternative to limit oxidation during spraying when compared to conventional methods. This study has the main objective of analyzing how the geometry of the low-temperature HVAF gun influences the microstructure and the in-flight oxidation of MCrAlX coatings. To that end, a low-temperature HVAF torch is used to deposit MCrAlX coatings on a steel substrate with different nozzle lengths. In-flight particle diagnosis is used to measure the MCrAlX particle velocity, and to correlate to the nozzle geometry and to analyze its influence on the final coating. The microstructure of the coatings is assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the material oxidation is analyzed and measured on a field emission scanning transmission electron microscope (FE-STEM) equipped with focused ion beam (FIB) and by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Full article

Increasing demand to deposit dense and oxidation-resistant bond coats requires reliable and efficient deposition techniques. High-Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF), among other thermal spray processes, is showcasing consistent potential to optimize spraying techniques and deposition strategies for depositing NiCoCrAlY coatings. NiCoCrAlY coatings are sensitive to high-temperature oxidation, and preserving the aluminum reservoir in the bond coats is of the highest priority to potentially resist oxidation during thermal cycling. Contrary to the existing literature on comparing carbide-based HVAF deposition with other processes, this work investigates the specific role of nozzle configurations. It primarily focuses on in-flight particle characteristics using diagnostic tools and the corresponding inflight particle oxidation of NiCoCrAlY feedstock. This work details individual splat and coating characteristics, revealing the significant influence of nozzle configurations. A comprehensive understanding of process–material–microstructure correlations was established using a commercially available NiCoCrAlY coating system. Comprehensive discussions on nozzle configurations over various feedstock powder characteristics were carried out in this work. Advanced characterization techniques were employed to assess the in-flight particle oxidation and coating microstructure using focused ion beam (FIB), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Full article

Oxygen present in the High Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF) process can react with the in-flight metallic particles and cause their oxidation. A grown brittle oxide shell on metallic micro-size particles can reduce their deposition efficiency and impair the coating’s final deposited properties/microstructure. In the current study, the oxide growth of MCrAlY particles, where M stands for Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co), during their flight in the HVAF process has been numerically modeled and validated with experimental single-particle depositions. A thorough theoretical oxide layer growth background is also presented. The utilized oxidation development follows the Mott–Cabrera theory for very thin films, which uses the particle surrounding temperature and oxygen partial pressure to track and describe the oxide growth. The obtained results provide a good correlation between the HVAF system design, the operating conditions, and surface oxidation phenomena observed using focus ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) analysis on collected particles. Furthermore, the particle’s degree of oxidation in HVAF is compared to High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) to demonstrate the influence of combustion processes on oxidation level. Full article

The paper presents a comparative study of the erosion wear resistance of WC-10Co4Cr, Cr₃C₂-25NiCr and martensitic stainless steel (SS) coatings deposited onto an AlSi7Mg0.3 (Al) alloy substrate by high-velocity air‒fuel (HVAF) spraying. The influence of the abrasive type (quartz sand or granite gravel), erodent attack angle, thickness, and microhardness of the coatings on their and Al substrate’s wear resistance was comprehensively investigated under dry erosion conditions typical for fan blades. The HVAF-spraying process did not affect the Al substrate’s structure, except for when the near-surface layer was 20‒40 μm thick. This was attributed to the formation of a modified Al-Si eutectic with enhanced microhardness and strength in the near-substrate area. Mechanical characterization revealed significantly higher microhardness values for the cermet WC-10Co4Cr (~12 GPa) and Cr₃C₂-25NiCr (~9 GPa) coatings, while for the SS coating, the value was ~5.7 GPa. Erosion wear tests established that while Cr₃C₂-25NiCr and SS coatings were more sensitive to abrasive type, the WC-10Co4Cr coating exhibited significantly higher wear resistance, outperforming the alternatives by 2‒17 times under high abrasive intensity. These findings highlight the potential of HVAF-sprayed WC-10Co4Cr coatings for extending the service life of AlSi7Mg0.3-based fan blades exposed to erosion wear at normal temperatures. Full article

The Ni6035WC/WC-10Co-4Cr wear- and scour-resistant composite coating was fabricated using supersonic flame spraying technology. To further enhance the wear and scour resistance of the HVAF-sprayed Ni6035WC/WC-10Co-4Cr composite coatings, a post-treatment was conducted via vacuum remelting. This involved placing the coatings in a vacuum sintering process at 1120 °C for 10 min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and hardness testing were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of the Ni6035WC/WC-10Co-4Cr coating, as well as to assess its wear and scour resistance. The results indicate that vacuum sintering significantly enhances the wear and scour resistance of the coating, while also improving its hardness, density, and bonding strength. The hardness of each coating after vacuum sintering, 1019 HV, 920 HV, and 897 HV, was improved by 6% compared to 966 HV, 906 HV, and 845 HV before sintering. The average wear rate of each coating after sintering was 13% lower than before vacuum sintering. Furthermore, the impact of varying WC-10Co-4Cr content on the coating’s properties was examined under identical test conditions. It was found that the optimal overall performance was achieved with a WC-10Co-4Cr content of 20%, resulting in an average wear rate that was 19% lower than that of other coatings. Full article

This work represents a preliminary study of atmospheric plasma-sprayed (APS) Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)-based thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) deposited on forged and additive manufactured (AM) HAYNES^®282^® (H282) superalloy substrates. The effect of different feedstock morphologies and spray gun designs with radial and axial injection on APS-deposited YSZ layer characteristics such as microstructure, porosity content, roughness, etc., has been investigated. The performance of TBCs in terms of thermal cycling fatigue (TCF) lifetime and erosion behaviour were also comprehensively investigated. In view of the high surface roughness of as-built AM surfaces compared to forged substrates, two different types of NiCoCrAlY bond coats were examined: one involved high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) spraying of a finer powder, and the other involved APS deposition of a coarser feedstock. Despite the process and feedstock differences, the above two routes yielded comparable bond coat surface roughness on both types of substrates. Variation in porosity level in the APS topcoat was observed when deposited using different YSZ feedstock powders employing axial or radial injection. However, the resultant TBCs on AM-derived substrates were observed to possess similar microstructures and functional properties as TBCs deposited on reference (forged) substrates for any given YSZ deposition process and feedstock. Full article

In this work, Fe₆₄Nb₃B₁₇Si₆Cr₆Ni₄ and Fe₆₀Nb₃B₁₇Si₆Cr₆Ni₄Mo₄ (at. %) coatings were prepared with a high-velocity air fuel spraying method, and the effects of minor Mo addition on the microstructure, glass formation, and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied. It was found that the Mo addition improves the glass-forming ability of the alloy and a fully amorphous structure with a higher compactness was obtained in the Mo-containing coating. The thermal stability of the coating is enhanced by Mo addition and the onset crystallization temperature was increased by 20 K. In addition, the Mo-containing amorphous coating exhibited higher corrosion resistance than the Mo-free coating. The superior corrosion resistance can be attributed to the increased proportion of protective, stable Cr, Nb, and Mo oxides in the passive film and fewer defects of the Mo-containing coating. Full article

Ti-6Al-4V is a widely used titanium alloy in aviation and bio/chemical applications for its attractive mechanical and corrosion resistance properties. The use of Ti-6Al-4V as a coating for repair purposes through thermal spray techniques provides a unique productivity opportunity. A repair coating must be dense to provide the required in-service functionalities, such as resistance to wear. The High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) thermal spray technique deposits dense coatings with reduced concern for oxide inclusions. This work presents an investigation of the microstructure, dry sliding, and solid particle erosive wear performance of four different coatings engineered through the configuration of the nozzle of an HVAF spray gun, based on the length of the nozzle and the size of the nozzle exit. A long nozzle length and wide nozzle exit mean increased inflight dwell time and reduced average inflight temperature for the sprayed particles, respectively—a reversed configuration means the opposite. The tested coatings showed a porosity of less than 2%. The sliding and erosion wear performance of the densest of the coatings compares to that of the bulk material tested under the same conditions. Electron microscopy was used to investigate the driving mechanisms for the performance of the respective coatings. The implications of the results are discussed for the potential adoption of HVAF-sprayed coatings in metal component repair. Full article

The study examines the microstructure and high-temperature properties of Cr₃C₂-25NiCr nanoceramic coatings on 316H high-temperature-resistant stainless steel that were prepared by high-velocity air–fuel spraying (HVAF) technology. The micromorphology, phase composition, fracture toughness, high-temperature hardness, high-temperature friction, and wear properties of the coating were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-temperature Vickers hardness tester, high-temperature friction and wear tester, and surface profiler. The results show that the Cr₃C₂-25NiCr coating prepared by HVAF presents a typical thermal spraying coating structure, with a dense structure and a porosity of only 0.34%. The coating consists of a Cr₃C₂ hard phase, a NiCr bonding phase, and a small amount of Cr₇C₃ phase; The average microhardness of the coating at room temperature is 998.8 HV_0.3, which is about five times higher than that of 316H substrate. The Weibull distribution of the coating is unimodal, showing stable mechanical properties. The average microhardness values of the coating at 450 °C, 550 °C, 650 °C, and 750 °C are 840 HV_0.3, 811 HV_0.3, 729 HV_0.3, and 696 HV_0.3 respectively. The average friction coefficient of the Cr₃C₂-25NiCr coating initially decreases and then increases with temperature. During high-temperature friction and wear, a dark gray oxide film forms on the coating surface. The formation speed of the oxide film accelerates with increasing temperature, shortening the running-in period of the coating. The oxide film acts as a lubricant, reducing the friction coefficient of the coating. The Cr₃C₂-25NiCr coating exhibits exceptional high-temperature friction and wear resistance, primarily through oxidative wear. The Cr₃C₂-25NiCr coating exhibits outstanding high-temperature friction and wear resistance, with oxidative wear being the primary wear mechanism at elevated temperatures. Full article

There is currently a lack of suitable methods of non-destructive quality assessment of thermally sprayed coatings. Therefore, this study investigates the suitability of polarization measurements that are adapted to the special needs of thermally sprayed coatings for non-destructive quality testing. For this purpose, a gel electrolyte containing 3.5% NaCl and a measuring cell based on the three-electrode arrangement were developed to prevent the corrosion medium from infiltrating the typical microstructure of thermally sprayed coatings (pores and microcracks). The newly developed method was evaluated on AISI 316L coatings deposited by high velocity air fuel (HVAF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The polarization curves showed significant differences as a result of spraying process-related changes in the coating microstructure. Even slight differences in oxide content within the AISI 316L coating produced by APS can be detected by the new method. In order to verify the new findings, the coatings were analyzed regarding their microstructure by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The measuring cell and gel electrolyte developed offer a promising opportunity to evaluate the quality of thermally sprayed coatings in a largely non-destructive manner using polarization curves. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of blood-based biomarkers, including blood tumor mutation burden (bTMB), to predict atezolizumab efficacy in relapsed and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stage IV NSCLC patients who had previously received platinum-doublet chemotherapy were recruited and received 1200 mg of atezolizumab every three weeks. Blood was collected to obtain plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) before the first cycle (C0) and at the fourth cycle (C4). bTMB was measured by CT-ULTRA in patients with cfDNA over 10 ng. The objective response rate (ORR) of the enrolled 100 patients was 10%, and there was no difference in ORR according to bTMB (cutoff: 11.5 muts/Mb) at C0 (high bTMB: 8.1% vs. low bTMB: 11.1%). However, the C4/C0 bTMB ratio was significantly lower in the durable clinical benefit (DCB) patients. The cfDNA concentration at C0, the C4/C0 ratio of the cfDNA concentration, the highest variant allele frequency (hVAF), and the VAF standard deviation (VAFSD) were significantly lower in the DCB patients. In the multivariate analysis, a high cfDNA concentration at C0 (cutoff: 8.6 ng/mL) and a C4/C0 bTMB ratio greater than 1 were significantly associated with progression-free survival. These results suggest that baseline levels and dynamic changes of blood-based biomarkers (bTMB, cfDNA concentration, and VAFSD) could predict atezolizumab efficacy in previously treated NSCLC patients. Full article

This study examines the tribological and corrosion properties of Stellite 20 alloy coatings on F310H heat-resistant stainless steel that were prepared using HVOF and HVAF supersonic flame spraying techniques. To investigate the coatings’ microstructure, phase, microhardness, wear, and corrosion resistance, a range of characterization techniques, including SEM, EDS, XRD, microhardness, and friction wear-testers, weas employed. The results indicate that both HVOF and HVAF-prepared coatings exhibit a dense structure with porosity of 0.41% and 0.32%, respectively. The coatings are composed of γ-Co solid solution, ε-Co solid solution, Cr-rich solid solution, Cr₇C₃, WC, and CoCr₂O₄ phases. The microhardness of the Stellite 20 coatings prepared by HVOF and HVAF methods was 610 HV_0.3 and 690 HV_0.3, respectively, which is three times higher than that of the F310H stainless steel substrate. The wear mechanism of the HVAF coating is abrasive wear, while the wear mechanism of the HVOF coating is mainly fatigue wear with slight abrasive wear. The HVAF coating demonstrates superior wear resistance due to its higher flame velocity, denser coating, and higher average microhardness. In contrast, the HVOF coating shows a higher friction coefficient stability due to its lower hardness dispersion. The corrosion potentials of the HVOF and HVAF coatings are −0.532 V and −0.376 V, respectively, with corresponding corrosion current densities of 1.692 × 10⁻⁷ A·cm⁻² and 6.268 × 10⁻⁷ A·cm⁻², respectively. Compared to the HVOF coating, the Stellite 20 coating prepared using HVAF technology exhibits better wear and corrosion resistance. Full article