Good Wear Research Articles

A correlative experimental and theoretical investigation of phase formation and thermal stability of a quaternary Cr0.69Ta0.20B0.11N coating

In recent years, CrTa(B)N coatings deposited by physical vapor deposition have gained increasing interest due to their high hardness and good wear resistance. However, a detailed investigation of the microstructure of quaternary CrTaBN coatings both at ambient conditions and at elevated temperature is lacking in literature. Therefore, the present study provides an overview of the temperature-dependent phase formation and microstructure of a Cr0.69Ta0.20B0.11N coating grown by cathodic arc deposition. The face-centered cubic Cr1-x-yTaxByN solid solution was found to be the only crystalline phase present in the as-deposited coating, with the B atoms exclusively forming B-N bonds. Both, atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy suggest that the B concentration is increased at the grain boundaries compared to within the grain. Annealing CrTaBN at 1000 °C provokes no change in the crystalline phase composition, but results in a reduction of the B content due to the formation of volatile B-containing compounds. In addition, B-metal bonds form upon annealing as a consequence of the CrN→Cr2N+N decomposition. The here reported formation of B-N bonds in the as-deposited state and the annealing induced formation of B-metal bonds are consistent with density functional theory calculations of relaxed corresponding configurations as the energy differences between them are minute. The obtained findings provide a detailed insight into the phase formation of the given complex material system.

Enhanced mechanical properties of Ni-based composites doped with a low amount of amorphous boron

The mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered Ni, such as hardness, tensile strength, compression resistance at 25 and 750 °C while maintaining good ductility and dynamic impact wear resistance were greatly improved by applying high-energy ball milling and introducing a small amount of amorphous boron as a reactive additive. An excellent combination of properties has been achieved by forming a submicron microstructure and nanocrystalline h-BN reinforcing layers.

Modification of high temperature radiation absorption properties of solid particles with surface coating

The coatings with different thermodynamic and optical properties can adjust and improve the overall performance of solid particles in solid particle solar receivers (SPSRs). In this work, the manganese iron black (PBK26) coating is prepared by water bath method and comprehensive performance of the coating is found to be the best when Fe/Mn molar ratio in PBK26 is 4:1. The high temperature radiation absorption performances of different solid particles coated by PBK26 are investigated. The results show that the spectral absorptivity of particles can be greatly improved by coating. The average spectral absorptivity of quartz sand, bauxite and mullite increases by 25.9%, 20.8% and 16.2%, respectively. However, the coated quartz sand appears coating shedding phenomenon at high temperatures, and the coating on bauxite is not complete. Only the coated mullite shows excellent coating effect and thermal stability. After long-period high temperature thermal stability experiments at 900 °C and cyclic thermal stability experiments of 30 cycles, the maximum mass loss of coated mullite is less than 0.4% and the spectral absorptivity is almost unchanged. In the wear resistance experiments the surface debris of the coated mullite increases. And there is a mass loss of 8.244% with a coating thickness loss of 27% and a spectral absorptivity decrease of 3.88% after 10 h of wear at 900 rpm. The results imply good high temperature thermal stability and acceptable wear resistance of PBK26 coated mullite, which provide an option for high temperature radiation improvement of solid particles.

Comparative in-vitro microscopic evaluation of vertical marginal discrepancy, microhardness, and surface roughness of nickel–chromium in new and recast alloy

Reusing of alloy has become a need of time due to the increasing demand, depletion of resources, and substantial increase in their price. The alloys used require a long-term stay in the oral cavity exposed to a wet environment, so they must have good wear resistance, biocompatibility, and mechanically good strength. In this study, the vertical marginal discrepancy, surface roughness, and microhardness of the new and recast nickel–chromium (base metal) alloys were evaluated. 125 wax patterns were fabricated from a customized stainless steel master die with a heavy chamfer cervical margin divided into 5 groups. Each group had 25 samples. Group A: 25 wax patterns were cast using 100% by weight of new alloy, Group B: the casting was done by using 75% new alloy and 25% alloy by weight, Group C: wax patterns were cast using 50% new alloy and 50% alloy, Group D: 25% new alloy and 75% alloy and Group E: 100% recast alloy. The vertical marginal discrepancy was measured by an analytical scanning microscope, microhardness was tested on a universal testing machine, and surface roughness was on a tester of surface roughness. Castings produced using new alloys were better than those obtained with reused alloys. Alloys can be reused till 50% by weight along with the new alloy and accelerated casting technique can be used to save the lab time to fabricate castings with acceptable vertical marginal discrepancy, microhardness, and surface roughness. This indicated that 50% recasting of (Ni–Cr) can be used as a good alternative for the new alloy from an economical point of view.

Effects of oxygen addition on properties of an amorphous Co–Ta–B system

Generally, amorphous alloys with metallic luster are mechanically strong and tough, whereas they are optically opaque. In contrast, amorphous metal oxides are optically transparent, whereas they show very low fracture toughness due to their intrinsic brittleness. Introducing oxygen into amorphous alloys enables formation of multifunctional amorphous materials, which combine high strength of amorphous alloys and optical properties of amorphous metal oxides. Using this strategy, a series of amorphous thin films were developed via oxygen manipulation in an amorphous Co–Ta–B system. The effects of oxygen addition on the optical properties of the amorphous Co–Ta–B–O thin films have been investigated systematically. Optical transmittance of these thin films increases with increasing the oxygen content. Integrating the transparent Co23·17Ta9·20B16·94O50.69 thin film with Si substrate forms a bilayer structure to display various colors via a simple thin film interference effect. In addition to the optical properties, the Co24·37Ta6·96B24·99O43.69 thin film with dual-phase nanostructure show a combination of high hardness of ∼7.49 GPa and a high H/E ratio of 0.062, representing good wear resistance. Our results offer a simple means to produce mechanically strong amorphous thin films with attractive optical properties, which show potential as advanced surface coatings to meet the requirements for high hardness and decorative appearance.

DEUTSCHE EDELSTAHLWERKE CRYODUR 2721

Abstract Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Cryodur 2721 is a medium-carbon, nickel-chromium alloy cold-work tool steel. This oil hardening type cold work tool steel offers a combination of high hardness, good wear resistance, high toughness, and good machinability. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, microstructure, hardness, and elasticity. It also includes information on forming and heat treating. Filing Code: TS-839. Producer or source: Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel.

Microstructural and Tribological Characteristics of Composites Obtained by Detonation Spraying of Iron-Based Alloy-Carbide Powder Mixtures.

iron-based coatings have exhibited good mechanical properties, such as high hardness and good wear resistance, which are desirable properties in applications such as automobile brake rotors. iron-based coatings are also good replacements for Co- and Ni-based coatings, which are costly and could have health and environmental concerns due to their toxicity. In this research, three different iron-based coatings were deposited using the Detonation Gun Spraying (DGS) technology onto aluminum substrates, including the steel powders alone (unreinforced), and steel powders mixed with Fe3C and SiC particles, respectively. The microstructural characteristics of these coatings and mechanical properties, such as hardness and wear resistance, were examined. The morphology and structure of the feedstock powders were affected by the exposure to high temperature during the spraying process and rapid solidification of steel powders that resulted in the formation of an amorphous structure. While it was expected that steel particles reinforced with hard ceramic particles would result in increased hardness, instead, the unreinforced steel coating had the highest hardness, possibly due to a higher degree of amorphization in the coating than the other two. The microstructural observation confirmed the formation of dense coatings with good adhesion between layers. All samples were subjected to ball-on-disk wear tests at room temperature (23 °C) and at 200 °C. Similar wear resistances of the three samples were obtained at room temperature. At 200 °C, however, both ceramic reinforced composite samples exhibited higher wear rates in line with the reduction in their hardness values. This work explains, from the microstructural point of view, why adding hard particles to steel powers may not always lead to coatings with higher hardness and better wear resistance.

Enhancing the tribological properties of TA1 pure titanium by modulating the energy of pulsed laser nitriding

Surface nitriding of titanium and titanium alloys is a commonly used method to enhance their wear properties. In this work, the pulsed laser was used to nitride TA1 commercially pure titanium and the microstructure and wear properties of the nitride layers prepared with different pulsed laser energies was investigated. The nitride layers prepared by laser nitriding are bi-layered with the upper layer being an N-element enriched layer (mainly composed of TiN) and the lower layer being an N-element diffusion layer [mainly composed of α(N)-Ti]. With the rise in laser energy, the nitrogen-rich layer gradually thickens and the mechanical properties improved to provide good wear resistance. Therefore, the nitride layer prepared with laser energy of 400 mJ has the best wear resistance, whereas the nitride layer prepared with laser energies of 100, 200, and 250 mJ fails completely during the wear test.

Tissue evolution and properties of plasma solid-state surface metallurgical TiCoCrNiWMo high-entropy alloy coatings

Using plasma solid-state surface metallurgy is a new method for preparing high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings. In this paper, based on the experience in plasma solid-state surface metallurgy and the HEA, the TiCoCrNiWMo HEA coatings with metallurgical bonding and gradient structure were prepared by five-element co-infiltration of Co–Cr–Ni–W–Mo on the surface of a TC4 substrate for the first time. The tissue morphology evolution and properties of HEA coatings at different holding temperatures were investigated. The results show that the HEA coating at the holding temperature of 1000 °C consists of a deposited layer + diffusion layer. When the temperature exceeds the (α + β)/β transition temperature of TC4, only the deposited layer is formed on the surface of the substrate. Holding temperature does not affect the phase composition of the HEA coating. The best bonding performance of the HEA coating with the substrate was achieved at a holding temperature of 1000 °C, with a bonding force of about 63.81 N. All the HEA coatings showed different degrees of improvement in hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance compared to the substrate. The HEA coatings prepared at 1000 °C had the best performance, with hardness and wear resistance 1.5 and 8.9 times higher than those of the substrate, respectively, and excellent corrosion resistance in acidic, alkaline, and salt solutions. The results show that the new TiCoCrNiWMo HEA coatings prepared by plasma solid-state surface metallurgy have good wear resistance and corrosion resistance and have good application prospects in the fields of automobile manufacturing and shipbuilding.

Optimal design in bionic wear-resistant structures by multiscale DEM simulation

To address the problems of long optimization times of bionic wear-resistant structures in discrete element simulation. We established two-dimensional homoscale discrete element simulation models for four biomimetic structures, along with their respective abrasive wear computational models. We then deliberated upon their wear behavior in relation to the structural morphology, contact constraints, contact force, and wear volume during the wear process. The study found that the shedding of brittle wear body surface abrasives had little effect on the substrate of the bionic structure. Based on the above findings, a multi-scale/cross-level study of the interaction between biological wear surface structure and abrasive was conducted. The findings evince that utilization of a multi-scale computational model ensures the precise examination of the mechanical response of a material to external forces, while also economizing computational time. Finally, the design of the conical bionic structure is optimized based on the multi-scale/cross-level computational model. The results show that the conical bionic structure has good wear resistance when the abrasive grain size is small and when the monomer spacing is not larger than the monomer width. The bionic structure/abrasive interaction multi-scale numerical simulation system established in this paper reduces the complexity of dynamic numerical simulation of wear behavior on the surface of wear- resistant organisms, improves the calculation efficiency, and provides an important research means and method for optimizing the design of bionic wear-resistant parts.

Pitting corrosion behavior and corrosion protection performance of cold sprayed double layered noble barrier coating on magnesium-based alloy in chloride containing solutions

Nitrogen processed, cold sprayed commercially pure (CP)-Al coatings on Mg-based alloys mostly lack acceptable hardness, wear resistance and most importantly are highly susceptible to localized corrosion in chloride containing solutions. In this research, commercially pure α-Ti top coating having good pitting potential (∼ 1293 mVSCE), high microhardness (HV0.025: 263.03) and low wear rate was applied on a CP-Al coated Mg-based alloy using high pressure cold spray technology. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) curves indicated that the probability of transition from metastable pits to the stable pits for cold spayed (CS) Al coating is considerably higher compared to that with the CS Ti top coating (for Ti/Al/Mg system). In addition, CS Ti top coating was in the passivation region in most pH ranges even after 48 h immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The stored energy in the CS Ti top coating (as a passive metal) was presumed to be responsible for the easy passivation. Immersion tests indicated no obvious pits formation on the intact CS Ti top coating surface and revealed effective corrosion protection performance of the CS double layered noble barrier coatings on Mg alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution even after 264 h.

High-throughput exploration of composition-dependent elasto-plastic and diffusion properties of refractory multi-element Ti-Nb-Zr-W alloys

A combinatorial material synthesis and analysis method can offer a great promise of mapping the elasto-plastic and diffusion properties in refractory multi-element alloys of Ti-Nb-Zr-W system with various compositions. Six groups of Ti-Nb-Zr-W quaternary diffusion couples annealed at 1273 K for 25 h were prepared and measured by electron probe microanalysis and nanoindentation tests. Subsequently, the composition-dependent elasto-plastic properties in a wide composition range of Ti-Nb-Zr-W system were obtained by using two analytical methods including Oliver-Pharr analysis and reverse analysis algorithms. Moreover, elasto-plastic property and interdiffusion coefficient databanks of BCC Ti-Nb-Zr-W system were established by using the machine learning and pragmatic numerical inverse methods, respectively. A hot workability parameter defined by the ratio of Young's modulus to main interdiffusion coefficient was proposed to evaluate the behavior during the hot working. Finally, wear resistance of refractory multi-element alloys was also discussed and verified by the experimental results. The results reveal that Ti-rich refractory multi-element alloys with the low W content have high hardness, good wear resistance, high stress, and excellent processability during the hot working, while the relatively high W content cannot improve the elasto-plastic properties of Ti-rich refractory alloys.

Grinding performance and acoustic emissions of structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tools

Micro-fabrication plays an increasingly important role in aerospace, biomedicine and other fields. CVD diamond has great application prospects in the preparation of micro-grinding tools due to its good wear resistance. In this work, the structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tool is proven to have better machining accuracy and wear resistance through the surface roughness and burr size after machining. According to the measured force signal results, the structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tool can reduce the axial force by 20% and the radial force by 10%. The reduction of the axial-to-radial force ratio proves that the structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tool has higher cutting efficiency. The relationship between acoustic emission signal characteristic value and surface roughness is determined by time domain analysis of acoustic emission. Through wavelet transform and machine learning, the wear degree of the common and structured CVD diamond micro-grinding tool is analyzed and predicted, and the accuracy rate is more than 99%.

DEUTSCHE EDELSTAHLWERKE CRYODUR 2510

Abstract Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Cryodur 2510 is a high-carbon, manganese-chromium-tungsten-vanadium alloy cold-work tool steel. This oil hardening type cold work tool steel offers a combination of high hardness, good wear resistance, and good cutting edge retention. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, microstructure, and hardness. It also includes information on heat treating. Filing Code: TS-838. Producer or source: Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel.

Tribo-mechanical characterization of Cu-Cr-Zr ternary alloy aimed at fin-tube resistance welding electrode material

PurposeLow performance life and increased machine downtime due to wear of resistance welding copper electrode is of major concern in fin–tube resistance welding in waste heat recovery boilers. The purpose of this study is to investigate an alternative material with good wear resistance to replace the currently utilized C11000 electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper electrode.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a Cu-Cr-Zr ternary alloy was developed for fin-to-tube welding electrode by melting commercial grade electrolytic copper (99.9% purity) plates, chips of chromium, powder of zirconium at 1100°–1300°C, followed by hot forging and precipitation hardening at 450°–550°C to attain appropriate grain flow. Microstructures of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys were analysed using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive backscatter electron spectrometry.FindingsWear performance of Cu-Cr-Zr and C11000 ETP Cu was evaluated using pin-on-disc set-up with Taguchi’s L8 orthogonal array. Ranking of the parameters was done, and it was observed that the material and temperature play a very significant role in controlling the wear of an electrode.Practical implicationsRate of fin–tube resistance welding was increased by 26% with Cu-Cr-Zr alloy. Further investigation on effect of plasma on the metallurgical characteristics of Cu-Cr-Zr is recommended.Originality/valueTribo-mechanical performance of newly developed Cu-Cr-Zr ternary alloy was compared with C11000 ETP copper.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-04-2023-0092/

Microstructure and Performance Research on Ceramic-Enhanced Inconel 718 Matrix Composite Using Laser Additive Manufacturing

This article presents a 95% IN718 + 5% (75% Cr2O3 + TiO2) ceramic coating on the SS316L substrate surface with laser additives. The macro shape, phase, microstructure, interface, wear resistance and tensile resistance of metal base composite materials are analyzed. The results show that metal matrix composite (MMC) laminated composite materials have good microscopic hardness and wear resistance compared to single materials. Comparative analyses with single IN718 materials indicate that the laminated composite materials exhibit superior microscopic hardness and wear resistance. Additionally, the study reveals a positive correlation between material hardness and wear resistance, characterized by reduced wear coefficient and average abrasion with increased material hardness. The findings of this research offer a cost-effective and practical method for producing high-resistance coating layer composite materials.

Exploring the application of composite materials in ceramic design based on fuzzy numerical analysis

Abstract Compared with traditional monolithic carbide ceramics, Cu-based composite ceramics have the advantages of higher hardness, good wear resistance and oxidation resistance and are a new type of structural ceramics with wide application prospects. This paper first proposes a novel bi-directional freezing technique to construct a three-dimensional long-range ordered layer network hierarchical structure based on the pressure infiltration process. Secondly, a composite finite element model based on fuzzy numerical analysis is proposed for the vibroacoustic analysis of the periodic composite coupled system (PCSAS). Finally, thermal analysis experiments and mechanical property tests verify the effectiveness of Cu-based composites applied to ceramic matrices. The experimental results show that the toughness of Cu-based composite ceramics increases with the increase of TiC content, and the toughness increases from 2.15±0.27Mpa.m1/2 to 4.21±0.25Mpa.m1/2 compared with that of conventional monolithic carbide ceramics. The Cu-based composite ceramics designed in this paper give full play to the advantages of the high strength of ceramic particles and high toughness of metal matrix and develop an effective method to prepare structural metal-ceramic composites. This paper has developed an efficient route for preparing structural metal-ceramic composites, which can provide a reference for materials researchers to develop high-toughness composite ceramics.

Atomic insights into the deformation mechanism of an amorphous wrapped nanolamellar heterostructure and its effect on self-lubrication

The evolution of pearlite into an amorphous wrapped nanolamellar heterostructure (AWNH) within the tribolayer is an important process for the formation and stabilization of a nanocomposite self-lubricating surface. Here, experimental characterizations were performed to show that an AWNH was an intermediate product of transformation of pearlite to oxide nanoparticles and played a supporting role as a self-lubricating layer of the substrate. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics simulation method was used to analyze the wear properties and load-bearing capacities of four different microstructures to reveal the unique AWNH deformation mechanism and its effect on the self-lubrication behavior. The results showed that the AWNH exhibited a low friction and good wear resistance, which could be ascribed to its high hardness, high plasticity, and outstanding interface deformation coordination ability. The shear bands were restricted by the nanolamellar structure, and the shear transition zone that formed at the interfaces caused the plastic deformation to be uniformly distributed, which provided favorable conditions for supporting the self-lubricating layer. The results of this study provide theoretical guidance for analyzing the deformation mechanisms and tribological behaviors of AWNHs and help to optimize self-lubricating material design.

Mechanical, Tribological, and Corrosive Properties of NbCrCx and NbCrCxNy Coatings with Various Nitrogen and Carbon Contents

CrC and NbC carbide coatings both have good mechanical properties, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. The present study seeks to combine the two coating systems in order to further enhance their properties. NbCrCx and NbCrCxNy coatings (where x and y denote the atomic percentages of carbon and nitrogen, respectively) were deposited on SKH51 substrates using a radio-frequency unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The mechanical, tribological, and corrosive properties of the coatings were investigated and compared. Among the NbCrCx coatings, the NbCrC61 coating showed high levels of hardness, excellent adhesion strength, and good wear resistance. Among the NbCrCxNy coatings, the NbCrC55N5 coating showed high adhesion strength and hardness and excellent tribological properties. However, for nitrogen contents greater than 16 at%, the adhesion strength was dramatically reduced, resulting in poor tribological performance. Among all of the coatings, the NbCrC49 coating showed the best corrosion resistance due to its enhanced crystallinity, high adhesion strength, moderate surface roughness, and high sp3 C-C bonding ratio.

Abrasion-resistant, transparent, conductive In2O3@SiO2 films

External smart wearable films requires that films have good transparency, electrical conductivity, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, but the research on some issues have not been discussed anywhere. The composite In2O3@SiO2 functional films intended for smart wearable devices were synthesised via closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering from a powder target. This study investigated the impact of the Si:In atomic ratio in the target on the films' transparency, conductivity, resistance to sweat corrosion, and wear resistance, while elucidating the underpinning mechanisms. Results revealed that the film roughness declined from 4.41 to 1.5 nm with increasing Si:In ratio, and the preferred orientations observed in the pure In2O3 film were lost upon the incorporation of SiO2 particles. The films maintained a visible-region transmittance of 82–85%. However, the band gaps and sheet resistances increased from 3.78 to 4.3 eV and 52–2740 Ω·sq−1, respectively. The In2O3@SiO2 film with 10 at. % SiO2 demonstrated relative structural integrity, and minimal changes in optical and electric properties after acid treatment. Films with 15 at. % SiO2, both with and without exposure exhibited pitting and peeling, with changes in transmittance and sheet resistance of 14.44% and 13.08%, respectively. The alkali-treated films displayed minimal changes. The pure In2O3 film failed after 30 h of vibration. After 48 h of vibratory wear, the In2O3@SiO2 films' transmittance decreased to approximately 72%, and sheet resistances increased to 2.5 KΩ for 10 at. % SiO2 and 23 KΩ for 15 at. % SiO2. The evenly dispersed SiO2 nanodots of the In2O3@SiO2 film with 10 at. % SiO2 showed superior overall properties, including transparency, conductivity, sweat corrosion resistance, and wear resistance, attributed to the ‘maze effect’ obstructing corrosion pathways and the ‘mosaic pattern’ enhancing the abrasive properties.