Solid particle erosive wear behaviour of flame sprayed EVA based polymeric coatings

Abstract

Flame spraying of polymers allows obtaining functional coatings for protecting against wear and corrosion. Among many engineering polymers, the Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) copolymer attracts attention with its superior mechanical and chemical properties. EVA, which has high chemical resistance, high impact resistance and mechanical flexibility, high friction coefficient, is among the candidate coating material that can be used in aerospace, automotive, marine, chemical and manufacturing industries to protect metallic surfaces. The use of polymeric coatings in applications is often restricted when large surfaces need to be coated or if the coating needs to be applied in the openair field. Flame spraying is one of the most cost-effective methods in the production of polymeric coatings. The curing process and solvent use required in conventional polymeric coating applications are not required in thermal spray coating applications. Contact of polymeric surfaces with solid surfaces and abrasive solid particles reduces polymer life and performance. In this study, solid particle wear behaviors of EVA coatings on stainless steel produced by flame spraying is investigated and then tested in different erosive wear test conditions. The erosive wear rates were compared with stainless steel. The main wear mechanism in the polymeric coatings is associated with micro-deformation, micro-cratering and micro-crack formation.