Wear performance of the Fe-based alloy coatings produced by plasma transferred arc weld-surfacing process

Two Fe-based gas atomized powders, proposed to as metamorphic alloys (Armacor M and Armacor C), were weld-surfaced by the plasma transferred arc (PTA) process. The resultant deposits were, subsequently characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and the microhardness tests. The wear performance of the two different coatings were investigated by the pin-on-disk dry sliding wear tests as well as three-body abrasive (DSRW) and two-body abrasive wear tests. I Microstructural development during the solidification of each. deposit is discussed. It is shown that Armacor M coating exhibits better wear performance than Armacor C coating for all wear testing investigated due to higher hardness and larger boride particles of Armacor M. The sliding wear resistance of both coatings follows a similar trend with the abrasive wear resistance. The wear rate of the pins for the pin-on-disk dry sliding wear testing is increased as the hardness of the counterpart disk is increased. It is also shown that wear rate and friction coefficient ai e the function of the applied stress. The XRD patterns in both the as-deposited coatings and worn surface do not show the presence of any significant amount of amorphous phase suggesting that crystalline-amorphous phase transformation has not occurred during the wear process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BY. All rights reserved.