Superior Abrasion Resistance Research Articles

Effect of efficient structural tuning on the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and wear performance of AlCoCrFeNi/AT13 composite coatings

This study developed a rapid structure control technique for AlCoCrFeNi/AT13 (Al₂O₃–13 % TiO₂) composite coatings using plasma spraying and dual powder feeding. Four coatings were fabricated: pure HEA, HEA-D (dispersed), HEA-S1 (multilayer with outer HEA), and HEA-S2 (multilayer with outer AT13). The introduction of AT13 altered the internal stress distribution and enhanced corrosion resistance by lowering the electrochemical reaction rate. In layered coatings (HEA-S1, HEA-S2), the AT13 interlayer barrier reduced corrosion tendency. Additionally, pure HEA coatings exhibited adhesive wear. While HEA-D coatings experienced abrasive wear as AT13 particles improved plastic deformation and interface shearing. HEA-S1 reduced strain and wear via an internal AT13 layer. HEA-S2 achieved superior abrasion resistance through an outer AT13 layer, exhibiting typical abrasive wear mechanisms.

Augmenting microstructure and tribological performance of wire arc additive manufactured PH13-8Mo stainless steel via TiC/TiB2 nano-particles incorporation

This study aimed to investigate the effect of TiC and TiB2 nano-inoculants addition on the microstructure and tribological behavior of PH13-8Mo stainless steel processed through wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). The incorporation of TiC/TiB2 inoculants demonstrated notable efficiency in mitigating the anisotropic wear and scratch response and enhancing wear resistance observed in the as-printed state. This improvement was ascribed to the refinement of the grain structure, disruption of the columnar structure, and increased content of the retained austenite. Notably, TiB2 inoculation exhibited superior grain refinement and achieved the highest hardness. However, the TiC-inoculated condition demonstrated the best wear resistance, attributed to its excellent combination of hardness and fracture resistance, and a higher contribution of strain-induced martensite transformation during wear testing. Additionally, the implementation of post-printing solutionizing and aging treatment was found to improve the scratch and wear resistance of the alloy, attributed to the formation of nano-sized β-NiAl precipitates. The main wear mechanism observed involved oxidation wear, adhesive wear, and three-body abrasive wear. The findings of this study highlight the significant potential of incorporating ceramic-based nano-particles for improving the wear resistance of WAAM PH13-8Mo components, particularly in demanding applications like injection molding dies where superior abrasion resistance is paramount.

Sustainable Pervious Concrete with Silica Fume as Cement Replacement: A Review

Pervious concrete is a unique type of concrete with high porosity that allows water to pass through. This characteristic makes it beneficial for various applications, such as stormwater management, groundwater recharge, and reduced heat island effect. However, pervious concrete typically requires more cement than conventional concrete because of its mix design. This increased cement content can be partially replaced with supplementary cementitious materials, such as silica fume. This review article investigates the influence of silica fume on the properties of pervious concrete, including the mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength), durability (resistance to freeze–thaw cycles and abrasion), and environmental aspects. The article highlights that silica fume can improve the mechanical properties and durability of pervious concrete up to an optimal replacement level. The optimum replacement level of cement with silica fume was found to be 10%–15%. Beyond this level, the performance of pervious concrete decreases. The pervious concrete containing silica fume showed superior abrasion resistance and improved freeze–thaw resistance compared to conventional pervious concrete. In addition, incorporating silica fume in pervious concrete reduces cement usage, leading to a lower environmental impact and more sustainable construction practices. The article also analyzes the limitations of using silica fume, such as the potential for reduced workability because of its fine particle size. Overall, the review suggests that silica fume is a promising supplementary cementitious material for enhancing the performance and sustainability of pervious concrete.

The evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 625 alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion via novel hybrid scanning strategy

Four innovative hybrid scanning strategies (0° + 67°, 45° + 67°, 67° + 67° and 90° + 67°) of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) have been proposed to tailor the microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 625 alloy for the first time. The experiment results revealed in sample I (0° + 67°) and sample IV (90° + 67°) a gradient structure is formed, progressing from randomly textured slender columnar crystals (001) to randomly textured equiaxial fine crystals, and finally to equiaxial and fine columnar crystals. In samples II (45° + 67°) and III (67° + 67°), isometric and columnar crystals are uniformly distributed throughout the sample. The tensile strengths of samples treated via hybrid scanning strategy in LPBF (sample I: 1270 ± 8 MPa, sample II: 1400 ± 6 MPa, sample III: 1390 ± 5 MPa and sample IV: 1360 ± 5 MPa) surpassed those of conventionally manufactured samples, including Inconel 625 alloy fabricated by LPBF using a single scanning strategy. This superiority can be attributed to the presence of fine grains, elevated residual stress levels, and the formation of stacking faults. The results of the nanoscratch test reveal that the bottom surface of samples I and IV demonstrates superior abrasion resistance in comparison to the top surface, which can be attributed to the higher relative density, finer grain size, lower elastic modulus and lower Schmidt factors in the bottom surface. These findings hold significant implications for tailoring the microstructure and properties of Inconel 625 alloy, especially in the realm of additively manufactured materials featuring heterogeneous structures.

Study on Microstructure and Wear Resistance of WC-based Cermet Coatings Prepared by HVAF

Abstract To mitigate the risk of vapor corrosion damage to the overflow mechanical parts, WC-based metal-ceramic coatings were applied to the surface of a 45-gauge steel substrate by supersonic air-assisted flame spraying (HVAF). The mechanical and wear-resistant qualities of the coating were identified by Vickers micro-hardness, ball-disc friction, and wear test, as well as optics, scanning electron, X-ray diffractometer, and white light interferometer systems. The findings demonstrate the layered structure of the WC-based coating, which is made up of the bonded phase and its distribution of hard phase particles that are diffusely dispersed. The coating is free of cracks, inclusions, and other defects, and its structure and organization are dense with a porosity of 0.86 ± 0.05%. The phenomenon of oxidative decarburization did not occur in the process of preparing the WC hard phase for WC-based metal-ceramic coatings. As a result, the coating’s micro-hardness of 11.83 ± 0.55 GPa is eight times that of the substrate. The results of comparing the three-dimensional abrasion patterns of the coating and the substrate reveal that the coating has superior abrasion resistance because its width and depth of abrasion are smaller than that of the substrate and a lot of furrows have formed on the substrate material’s surface. In contrast, the sprayed layer only had faint traces of abrasion. After three years of actual service, the impeller surface coating is essentially unaltered, which effectively addresses the issue of vapor corrosion damage to the slurry pump’s impeller and extends the pump’s service life to guarantee the overflow mechanical components operate safely and steadily.

Achieving high strength and superior wear‐resistant properties in TiH2 matrix reinforced with graphene nanoplates

In this work, low‐cost TiC/Ti composites with high strength‐ductility and superior abrasive resistance were fabricated using hydrogenation‐dehydrogenation (HDH) powder and graphene nanoplates as raw materials via spark plasma sintering (SPS) and hot rolling (HR) processes. Effects of in‐situ TiC contents on the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behavior of the TiC/Ti composites were investigated. The results indicate that the microstructure after HR is equiaxial α‐Ti grain with random orientation. The TiC/Ti composites exhibit higher strength compared to pure Ti matrix after HR. The ultimate tensile strength of the 1.82vol% TiC/Ti composite is 1059 MPa, which represents a 49.3% increase compared to pure Ti. The coefficient of friction of the TiC/Ti composites decreases from 0.51 to 0.43 with an increase in TiC contents. The improvement of strength is attributed to refinement strengthening, dislocation strengthening and TiC load transfer. In addition, the increase of TiC contents will reduce the friction coefficient of the composites, thereby improving the wear resistance of the composites. The paper proposes a cost‐effective method with good prospects for industrial applications to improve the mechanical properties and wear‐resistant properties of the titanium alloys.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sepiolite: A new component suitable for 380 ​km/h high-speed rail brake pads

To enhance the high-temperature adaptability of copper-based composite materials and C–C/SiC discs, this article innovatively introduces a method of replacing graphite with sepiolite, resulting in the successful fabrication of samples with exceptional mechanical and friction properties. The results reveal that moderate incorporation (less 6%) of sepiolite provides a particle reinforcement effect, resulting in an improvement of mechanical properties. Interestingly, the addition of sepiolite causes a change in the traditional saddle-shaped friction curve due to high temperature lubrication. Meanwhile, the primary advantage of sepiolite lies in its superior abrasion resistance, evident in the increased friction coefficient and altered wear mechanisms with higher sepiolite content. The wear resistance is optimal at 200 ​Km/h (400 ​°C). Particularly, the unique composition of the friction layer (outermost layer: a composite film consisting of B2O3, sepiolite, graphite, and metal oxide films; intermediate layer: metal oxide films) plays a pivotal role in improving friction stability. Finally, there are significant optimizations in the GA algorithm, especially GA-GB model has the best prediction effect on the maximum friction temperature.

Investigation of Wear Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Electrodeposited Ni-P-PTFE Nanocomposite Coating on Mg-Li alloy

Ni-P-polytetrafluorethylene nanocomposite coatings based on Mg-Li alloy were successfully prepared by utilizing electrodeposition method. The nanocomposite coatings were investigated employing scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The microstructure and composition of the coating were studied by friction, wear and corrosion tests. The experimental results reveal that when the concentration of PTFE is 3 g / L, deposition temperature is 70 °C, current density is 2 A/dm2, and pH of the plating solution is approximately 5.5, a uniform and dense Ni-P-PTFE nanocomposite coating is formed on Magnesium alloy substrate, and it exhibited a low coefficient of friction (∼1.5) and superior abrasion resistance. The co-deposition of PTFE particles can effectively reduce the friction coefficient and wear rate, and the wear mechanism is characteristic cutting wear. Under artificial seawater conditions, the experiments have demonstrated that the nanocomposite material possesses a corrosion current density of 3.9×10-5 A/cm2.

Layering Ni to mediate the Kirkendall effect (KE) in cu/ta nonequilibrium diffusion for enhanced abrasion resistance

This study delves into the KE occurring at the interface of the Cu/Ta system during thermal diffusion, along with the mediating impact of integrating a Ni interlayer on the nonequilibrium diffusion of Cu/Ta. In the Cu/Ta system, nonequilibrium thermal diffusion results in the generation and aggregation of Cu side Kirkendall voids (KVs). In the Cu/Ni/Ta system, the Ni interlayer ensures the equilibrium of system atom migration through the movement and annihilation of vacancies, thereby enhancing the bonding between the layers. Calculations of interdiffusion coefficients using the Boltzmann-Matano (B-M) method reveal that interdiffusion coefficients at the coating-substrate interface are 4–5 orders of magnitude higher for the Cu/Ta system compared to the Cu/Ni/Ta system. The analysis of mean square displacement (MSD) and radial distribution function (RDF) provides insights into the role of the Ni interlayer as a potential barrier mediating the atomic-level diffusion behavior of the system. Moreover, the Cu/Ni coating exhibits superior abrasion resistance and bond strength compared to the Cu coating, attributed to the inhibition of KVs generation at the interface. This exploration introduces a novel approach to inhibit defects stemming from the KE and advances comprehension of interfacial phenomena in composites.

Enhancing mechanical and functional properties of LM25 alloy through squeeze cast hybrid nanocomposite incorporating breadfruit seed husk ash and graphite nanoparticles

ABSTRACT In this research, effective utilization of agro waste breadfruit seed husk ash particle (SHA) as reinforcement purpose in LM25 alloy matrix enhanced with the inclusions of 3, 6, and 9wt% of graphite (Gr) nanoparticle (50nm) via squeeze cast liquid processing executed with 200MPa applied compressive pressure. This developed cast examined LM25 alloy and its composites for density, percentage of porosity, microstructure, ultimate tensile strength, abrasion, and corrosion behaviour. From the experimental result, the LM25/10wt% SHA/9wt% Gr hybrid nanocomposite has low density (2.554g/cc), an excellent ultimate tensile strength of (181±1.8 MPa), superior abrasion resistance (0.332mg/m) under 40N load at 0.75m/sec, and good corrosion resistance (0.00382mm/year) compared to cast LM25 alloy. The inclusions of SHA and Gr proved their presence in LM25 alloy has good mechanical strength and maximum abrasion and corrosion resistance to overcome the drawbacks of conventional stir-casted LM25 alloy, which is poor wear resistance.

Mechanically durable superhydrophobic coating of poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate)/SiO2/polydimethylsiloxane with superior abrasion resistance

Mechanical durability of superhydrophobic coating relies on not only the matrix robustness of the coating but also the adhesion stability between the coating and its substrate. Mechanically durable superhydrophobic composite coating of poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate)/SiO2/polydimethylsiloxane (PECA/SiO2/PDMS) was fabricated by pretreating substrate with ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA) followed by spray-coating composite of PDMS precursors, SiO2 nanoparticles and ECA monomers. In the coating process, the ECAs were in situ polymerized into PECA as an adhesive in between to bind the upper coating with the substrate and inside the composite to strengthen the coating matrix. The as-obtained PECA/SiO2/PDMS coating has strong mechanical stability and excellent superhydrophobicity even after sandpaper abrasion, sand grain impacting, water tumbling over, or acidic/basic solutions corrosion. This adhesive strategy can be applied on all kinds of substrates, providing a facile way to mechanically durable superhydrophobic coatings for expanding the applications.

Preparation of superhydrophobic coatings with excellent mechanical and chemical stability by one-step spraying method with selected fluorine-free modifiers

Superhydrophobic coatings have great potential for applications in daily life and industrial production. In practical applications, however, the excellent mechanical and chemical stability of superhydrophobic surfaces remains a challenge. In this paper, a one-step spraying method, simple in process and low cost, was used to prepare superhydrophobic materials. To investigate the effect of different types of non-fluorinated modifiers on the wettability of the coatings, four silane non-fluorinated modifiers, dodecyltrimethoxysilane, hetradecyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane and polydimethylsiloxane, were selected to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces. The superhydrophobic coating modified by non-fluorinated modifier retained its superhydrophobic performance after 48 h immersion in strong acid, strong alkali and salt solution and 6 months in outdoor environment, with excellent corrosion resistance. Moreover, it showed superior abrasion resistance and durability in sandpaper abrasion and tape peeling cycles tests. The superhydrophobic coating prepared by PDMS had the best overall performance compared with other silane non-fluorinated modifiers, and the separation efficiency of the prepared superhydrophobic cotton fabric could still be maintained above 99 % after 20 oil–water separation cycles. Its water contact angle was 164.8° and sliding angle was 2.3°, and it had the highest first bouncing height after the droplet bouncing test.

Performance of Ni–SiC composites deposited using magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition under different magnetic-field directions

To improve the surface and structure performances of metal parts, magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition was applied to deposit the Ni-SiC composites on Q235 steel substrates. The surface morphology, roughness, microstructure, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance of the composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness and friction wear tests, and electrochemical analysis, respectively. The Ni-SiC composite (MC-1) fabricated at 0.5 T with perpendicular magnetic direction exhibited a smooth, dense, and fine surface morphology, the highest SiC content, and a Ni grain size of only 72.3 nm. Furthermore, AFM images showed that the roughness of the MC-1 composite (Ra of 84 nm) was lower than those of Ni-SiC composites deposited at 0 T and 0.5 T. XRD analysis indicated that the application of a perpendicular magnetic field changed the preferred growth of Ni grains from the (200) to (111) crystal plane. MC-1 had the highest microhardness and lowest friction coefficient of all composites, indicating its superior abrasion resistance. Furthermore, the MC-1 composite had the lowest corrosion current (0.466 μA/cm2) and highest corrosion potential (−254 mV), indicating its superior corrosion resistance compared to the other composites.

Functionalizing MXene with hypophosphite for highly fire safe thermoplastic polyurethane composites

Owing to the superior abrasive resistance, processability and self-lubricating performances, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has attracted numerous attention in the areas of automotive steering wheels, electronic industry and national defense, etc. However, the industrial applications of TPU are imped due to its highly intrinsic flammability and the release of a lot of smoke and hot during combustion. To address this hurdle, herein, a hybridized flame retardant (ATi3C2Tx) was synthesized by the hydrogen-bonding interaction between titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) and aluminum hypophosphite (AP). The results indicated that incorporated 9.5A0.5Ti3C2Tx decreased the peak of heat release rate, total heat release, total smoke release and total CO yield of TPU by 69.2%, 50.9%, 63.7% and 20.6%, respectively. Besides, the TPU/9.5A0.5Ti3C2Tx composite passed the UL-94V-0 rating test and obtained the highest LOI (29.9%) among all the specimens. The improved fire resistance of TPU composites was ascribed to the multiple effects of the ATi3C2Tx hybrid.

Improvement of load bearing capacity by changing design parameters and material properties of journal bearings utilized in marine applications

Journal bearings are widely employed in a wide variety of applications because of their versatility and the fact that their efficiency is directly tied to their ability to reduce friction while carrying loads. As with other engineering processes, understanding how power is transmitted requires a microscopic degree of analysis. The bearing's state and speed have a major effect on the bearing's ability to do its job. A lubrication coating between the shaft and the sleeve allows the journal bearing to carry the load. The main issue is the pressure that builds up around the perimeter and around the axis, which limits the amount of weight it can carry. Variable speeds and loads are a common cause of pressure increases. Journal bearings are commonly used in marine applications due to their long service life, durability of shaft sleeve, low frictional co-efficient, low maintenance needs, superior abrasion resistance, ease of use, cheap cost, and low pricing. Apart from not contributing to pollution, they are also environmentally friendly and long-lasting. Water-lubricated bearings have a very small global market share. In this study, we discuss the repercussions of adjusting the design parameters or using a different material. To validate information, we employ experimental results alongside our modelling in Solid works and analysis in Ansys Fluent.

Abrasive wear of PEEK and ATSP-based polymer composite coatings under lunar regolith conditions

Abrasive wear of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and aromatic thermosetting co-polyester (ATSP) based polymer composite coatings were examined with lunar regolith simulant environment by conducting pin-on-disk experiments under dry sliding conditions, contact pressure of 17.5 MPa, and sliding speed of 0.25 m/s. Three different tribo-interfaces, namely metal-on-metal, metal-on-polymer, and polymer-on-polymer were designed to evaluate the efficacy of each polymer coating on the friction and wear improvement, as well as the extent of sand-dust mitigation at the interface. The polymer-on-polymer system resulted in significant reduction in friction up to 70%. The wear mechanism was a mixed mode of two-body and three-body abrasion for metal-on-metal and metal-on-polymer tribopairs, while the polymer-on-polymer tribopair significantly mitigated the sand and dust accumulation at the interface with three-body abrasion as the dominant wear. Both polymer composites showed similar frictional behavior, while ATSP composite showed superior abrasive wear resistance, particularly under small size dust (<38 μm size) environment.

Robust icephobic nanocomposite coatings with superior abrasion resistance

Icephobic coatings are required for many applications in extremely cold environments, ranging from transport, communications, and infrastructure to energy systems. For practical applications, the ice adhesion strength (IAS) is the most suitable parameter to quantify the icephobicity of a coating, since ice would form on any surface if the conditions are extremely cold. From an engineering view point, an icephobic coating should also be robust, durable, environmentally friendly, and easy to apply over large and complex surfaces at a low cost. Here we report an epoxy based icephobic nanocomposite coating with the typical robustness of epoxy and an IAS as low as 9 ± 3 kPa. The superior icephobicity is provided by the incorporation of silane modified graphene nanoplatelets. Three different silanes are selected based on their low surface energy and their icephobic performance is discussed. The nanocomposite coatings are not only hydrophobic but also their low surface energy have allowed the IAS to be decreased dramatically, below the natural ice detachment threshold. The extraordinary robust icephobic nanocomposite coating reported herein remained icephobic after severe damage through abrasion. This study has demonstrated the potential use of low surface tension silanes for the development of highly robust icephobic coatings to be used in harsh and extreme cold environments.

Effect of Chemically Modified Castor Seed (Ricinus Communis) Shell Powder on The Mechanical Properties of Natural Rubber Vulcanizate

Mechanical properties of natural rubber filled with modified castor seed shell powder for some engineering applications were studied. Castor seed shells were obtained and treated with 20% NaOH for 1h, washed and dried at 75oC and were pulverized and sieved to 75μm. Treated castor seed shell (TCSS) powder showed improved characteristics when compared to the untreated (UCSS) in terms of pH, bulk density, moisture content, lignin content, cellulose content, hemicelluloses content, thermal stability, SEM and FTIR spectra respectively. Natural rubber was compounded at varying filler loadings of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50phr on a two-roll mill. The cure characteristics of the compounded rubber were determined using a Mosanto Rheometer (model MDR 2000) and the result obtained were used for vulcanization in a hydraulic press. The cure characteristics, mechanical and morphological properties of the vulcanizates were analysed and compared with carbon black filled samples. The preliminary results showed that castor seed shell is hydrophilic which was chemically treated to decrease the hydrophilicity. The maximum and minimum torques increased with filler loadings. The result of the natural rubber filled vulcanizates showed improved mechanical properties such as; tensile strength, modulus, tear strength, hardness, abrasion resistance which increased with increased filler loadings while elongation at break, flex fatigue, compression set, impact strength and rebound resilience decreased with filler loadings. The TCSS filled vulcanizate showed superior abrasion resistance and compression set when compared with UCSS and CB filled. The sample morphology at 30phr revealed that TCSS was well dispersed due to strong interfacial adhesion between the filler and the matrices contributing to the improved mechanical properties investigated when compared to UCSS filled with poor interfacial interaction. The result reveal that TCSS is a reinforcing filler that can be used for the production of natural rubber-based products for some engineering applications.

Developing Super-Hydrophobic and Abrasion-Resistant Wool Fabrics Using Low-Pressure Hexafluoroethane Plasma Treatment.

The growing interest in wool fibres as an eco-friendly and sustainable material for diverse industrial applications requires an enhancement of their functional performance. To address this, wool fabrics were treated in the present research with low-pressure hexafluoroethane (C2F6) plasma to impart superhydrophobicity and improve their abrasion resistance. Unscoured and scoured wool fabrics were treated with C2F6 while varying plasma power (80 W and 150 W), gas flow rate (12 sccm and 50 sccm) and treatment time (6 min and 20 min), and the effect of plasma parameters on the abrasion resistance, water contact angle and dyeing behaviour of the wool fabrics was studied. Martindale abrasion testing showed that the surface abrasion of the wool fabrics increased with the number of abrasion cycles, and the samples treated with 150 W, 20 min, 12 sccm showed superior abrasion resistance. The scoured wool fabrics showed a contact angle of ~124°, which was stable for only 4 min 40 s, whereas the plasma-treated samples showed a stable contact angle of over 150°, exhibiting a stable superhydrophobic behaviour. The C2F6 plasma treatment also significantly reduced the exhaustion of an acid dye by wool fabrics. The EDX study confirmed the deposition of fluorine-containing elements on the wool fabrics significantly altering their properties.

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