CAVITATION EROSION PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL OF MCrAlY AND NiCrMoNbTa METALLIC COATINGS DEPOSITED VIA THE HVOF METHOD

Abstract

The work describes the phenomenological model of cavitation erosion (CE) elaborated for MCrAlY (where M = Co, Ni or Co/Ni) and NiCrMoNbTa. Coatings were deposited via the HVOF method from CoNiCrAlY, NiCoCrAlY and NiCrMoNbTa feedstock powders. CE tests, conducted according to ASTM G32 standard, indicate that MCrAlYs have a 50% higher maximum erosion rate and twice lower CE resistance than the NiCrMoNbTa coating. CE kinetics of coatings were comparatively studied, combining the mass loss, erosion rate, roughness changes of the eroded surface with microstructure, and mechanical properties of the coatings. Results of SEM analysis of damaged coatings allow identifying the mechanism of CE. In the case of both types of coatings, the erosive damage is initiated at the removal of loose splats, cracking at the border splats and peeling off the coating material, and surface pitting. However, NiCrMoNbTa, due to higher ductility and microstructure homogeneity, presents lesser surface pitting contrary to the MCrAlYs, which have multiphase microstructure higher hardness and consequently was prone to cracking, resulting in the formation of craters and higher surface roughening. The CE mechanism of MCrAlYs was dominated by the brittle mode, while the NiCrMoNbTa coating has mainly a ductile damage behaviour.