Comparative study of the tribological behavior of thermal sprayed quasicrystalline coating layers

To investigate the role of tribological reactions on the friction and wear of quasicrystalline materials, coatings with two alloy compositions have been prepared by plasma and HVOF spraying techniques. The tribolayers were characterized by the formation of a transfer film on the counterface and densification of the coating subsurfaces. It was observed that the thickness of the transfer film and pore-free region were dependent on the composition and process used for the deposition of the coatings as well as the sliding velocity. As the sliding velocity increased, the growth rate of the transfer film decreased, resulting in a decrease of the coefficient of friction. On the other hand, the wear rate appeared to be controlled by the thickness of the pore-free region formed within the coating surface zone. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.