AlSi ALLOYS FOR MAGNETRON DEPOSITION OF THE COATINGS ON CAR EXHAUST MUFFERS – FORECAST OF TECHNOLOGICAL WEAR

Abstract

In the production of car exhaust system parts, for protection against corrosion and high-temperature oxidation, alumina and AlSi alloy hot-dip coatings are currently especially effective. The authors of this study are conducting investigations into the application of AlSi alloys made by the traditional casting technology to the fabrication of AlSi PVD coatings by the magnetron sputtering method. For the purposes of the present study, three discs of AlSi alloys were subjected to magnetron sputtering. The assessment of the wear of the discs was made by microscopic observations, by mapping the geometric features and roughness of the disc surface with a profilometer, and by making the statistical analysis of the results by the bootstrap method. A similar degree of wear of discs made of all the examined alloys, expressed as the depth of losses, was shown. It was also fund that the surface of discs of alloys with a higher silicon content was characterized by a lower roughness compared to the AlSi7 alloys. The wear rate of discs in the PVD process was estimated at approx. 150 m/h.