Effect of salt spray corrosion on tribological properties of HVOF sprayed NiCr-Cr3C2 coating with intermediate layer

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to determine the influence of the neutral salt spray corrosion on the wear resistance of HVOF sprayed NiCr-Cr3C2 coating with intermediate layer. Ni-Zn-Al2O3 coatings as interlayers were prepared by low pressure cold spray (LPCS) between NiCr-Cr3C2 cermet coatings to form a sandwich structure to enhance the corrosion resistance properties. The tribological properties were examined using the UMT-3 fricition and wear tester by line-contact reciprocating sliding under dry and salt spray one week corrosion. The morphology, element distribution, and phase compositions of the coating and worn sufaces were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction respectively. The corrosion behavior of the coating was studied by the open-circuit potential, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and salt spray corrosion methods. It is found that the sandwich structured coating has better corrosion resistance than the single layer coating. The results show that under dry wear conditions, the wear mechanism is abrasive and adhesive wear, whereas under salt spray corrosion conditions it becomes corrosion wear. The friction coefficient of the sandwich structured coating after salt spray corrosion is slightly lower than the dry friction coefficient, but the weight of the wear loss is lower than that under dry condition.