Effect of heat treatment on abrasive wear behaviour of Ni-WC coatings

Abstract

In this study, an experimental investigation of the abrasive wear behaviour of HVOF-sprayed Ni-10WC metal coatings was conducted. Different heat treatment temperatures, such as 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C, were used to modify the coating. In order to explore microstructure, element analysis, and phase identification were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction. The porosity and hardness of coatings were performed using a Vickers microhardness tester and image-J software. Abrasive wear tests were performed using a pin on the disc tester against silicon carbide of 100 µm grit as a counter material mounted on a 165 mm circular disc. The outcome demonstrates that coatings' mechanical and microstructure properties are greatly improved by heat treatment. The optimum temperature was determined to be 600 °C, which exhibited maximum hardness as 750 Hv0.3, minimal porosity as 1.8 %, and maximum wear resistance. Heat treatment lowers the development of the W2C amorphous phase, increasing the microstructure's recrystallization and density.