The influence of HV-APS process parameters on microstructure and erosion resistance of metalloceramic WC-CrC-Ni coatings

This article presents an analysis of the effect of high velocity plasma spraying (HV-APS) parameters of WC-CrC-Ni powder. Plasma spraying processes were carried out using a three-electrode Axial III type torch with central powder injection, in which a supersonic nozzle with a diameter of 5/16 inch was installed. The following were taken as variable parameters: power current per electrode (140, 160, 180A), hydrogen flow rate (10, 20, 30 NLPM) and powder feed rate (15, 20, 25 g/min). The obtained coatings were characterized by thicknesses exceeding 200 mu m and their porosity was very low (<1%), similar to those obtained by the HVOF method most commonly used for spraying carbide coatings. The obtained coatings were characterized by hardness in the range of 800-950 HV0.5 -depending on spraying parameters. The solid particle erosion test showed that the WC-CrC-Ni coating -regardless of the spraying parameters -has good erosion resistance. The analysis of the obtained test results indicates that the use of the HV-APS process allows producing carbide coatings with properties similar to those obtained in the HVOF spraying method and significantly better compared to conventional plasma spraying (APS).

Automated summary

This article presents an analysis of the effect of HV-APS parameters on WC-CrC-Ni powder. The plasma spraying process utilized a three-electrode Axial III type torch with central powder injection, and a supersonic nozzle with a diameter of 5/16 inch. Variable parameters included power current per electrode, hydrogen flow rate, and powder feed rate. The obtained coatings exhibited low porosity and their hardness depended on the spraying parameters. The analysis suggests that the HV-APS process can produce carbide coatings with properties comparable to those obtained by the HVOF method and better than conventional plasma spraying (APS).