Influence of Detonation Gun Spraying Conditions on the Quality of Fe-Al Intermetallic Protective Coatings in the Presence of NiAl and NiCr Interlayers

Abstract

The paper presents results of detailed research of the application of detonation gun (D-gun) spraying process for deposition of Fe-Al intermetallic coatings in the presence of NiAl and NiCr interlayers. A number of D-gun experiments have been carried out with significant changes in spraying parameters which define the process energy levels (changes in volumes of the working and fuel gases, and the distance and frequency of spraying). These changes directly influenced the quality of the coatings. The initial results underlay the choice of the process parameters with the view to obtain the most advantageous of geometric and physical-mechanical properties of the coating material, interlayer and substrate. The metallurgical quality of the coatings was considered by taking into account grain morphology, the inhomogeneity of chemical content and phase structure, the cohesive porosity in the coating volume, and adhesive porosity in the substrate/interlayer/coating boundaries. The surface roughness level was also considered. It was found that the D-gun sprayed coatings are in all cases built with flat lamellar splats. The splats develop from powder particles which are D-gun transformed in their plasticity and geometry. A significant result of the optimization of D-gun spraying parameters is the lack of signs of melting of the material (even in microareas) while the geometry of the subsequently deposited grains is considerably changed and the adhesivity and cohesion of the layers proves to be high. This is considered as an undeniable proof of high plasticity of the D-gun formed Fe-Al intermetallic coating.