Performance of plasma sprayed and detonation gun sprayed Cu–Ni–In coatings on Ti–6Al–4V under plain fatigue and fretting fatigue loading

Abstract

Cu–Ni–In powder was coated on Ti–6Al–4V fatigue test samples using plasma spray and detonation gun (D-gun) spray processes. Coatings were characterized in terms of microstructure, porosity, microhardness, residual stresses and surface roughness. Uniaxial plain fatigue and fretting tests were carried out at room temperature on uncoated and coated specimens. D-gun sprayed coating was dense with lower porosity compared with the plasma sprayed coating. D-gun sprayed coating was harder than the plasma sprayed coating and substrate because of its higher density and cohesive strength. Surfaces were very rough in both the coatings. While D-gun sprayed coating surface had higher compressive residual stresses, plasma sprayed coating surface exhibited lower values of compressive residual stresses and even tensile residual stresses. The ill effect of surface roughness was overcome by the beneficial influence of higher compressive residual stresses on the surface and higher surface hardness and so the D-gun sprayed samples exhibited superior plain fatigue lives compared with uncoated specimens. Though the plasma sprayed samples had relatively lower hardness, higher surface roughness and almost similar values of residual stresses on the surface compared with the uncoated specimens, they exhibited longer plain fatigue lives. This may be attributed to the layered structure of the coating. Though D-gun sprayed samples experienced higher friction forces, they exhibited superior fretting fatigue lives due to the presence of higher compressive residual stresses, higher surface hardness and higher surface roughness compared with uncoated specimens. The very rough surface of plasma sprayed samples enhanced their fretting fatigue lives compared with the uncoated samples. Higher surface hardness and higher compressive residual stress of the D-gun sprayed specimens were responsible for their superior fretting fatigue lives compared with the plasma sprayed specimens.