| Thermal spray coatings composed of a variety of carbide sizes and cobalt contents were sprayed with a high energy plasma spray system. The size of the carbides used fell into three rough groupings, micrometer scale carbides (1–2 μm), submicrometer (700–300 nm), and nanoscale (≈100 nm). The feedstock powder was evaluated in terms of their size distribution, external morphology, internal morphology, and initial carbide size. Two different fixtures were used in spraying to evaluate the effect of cooling rate on the wear resistance of the coatings. The microstructures of the sprayed coatings were examined using optical metallography, SEM, FESEM, TEM, XRD and chemical analysis. The coatings were evaluated in low stress abrasive wear by the ASTM G-65 Dry Sand Rubber Wheel test. Furthermore, the porosity and hardness of the coatings were evaluated. The cobalt content was found to be the predominant influence on the wear rate of the coatings. The decrease in the carbide size was not found to effect the wear rate of the coatings. Coatings sprayed on the ‘hot’ fixture were found to have slightly improved wear resistance as compared to coatings sprayed on the ‘cold’ fixture. The wear rates of the coatings were found to be a function of the WC/Co volume ratio. |
