Synthesis and performance of plasma-sprayed polymer/steel coating system

Low friction thermally sprayed polymer-steel coatings for high contact pressure rolling/sliding systems were developed using high-energy plasma spraying. Polymers were applied as a thermally sprayed thin film (75-100 mu m) over a thicker (250-750 mu m) thermally sprayed steel coating. Twin roller rolling/sliding tests were performed at 5 and 35% creep and contact loads of 1700 N on a 5 mm contact face. A lower coefficient of friction (0.10-0.15) with increased durability, compared with that of an AISI 1080 steel thermally sprayed coating (coefficient of friction of 0.46), was observed under these rolling-sliding contact conditions. The Polymer's ability to control friction and wear stems from the mechanical anchoring of the polymer film to the rough surface of the steel coating. The polymer film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analysis.