Hybrid Co-Cr/W-WC and Ni-W-Cr-B/W-WC coating systems

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subsurface materials on the performance of a wear-resistant thin film. The mechanical, tribological, and corrosion properties were assessed for two hybrid coating systems: (1) W-WC thin film and a laser cladded Co-Cr interlayer applied to a 316 stainless steel substrate and (2) the same W-WC thin film and a spray-and-fused Ni-W-Cr-B interlayer applied to an Inconel\uae 718 substrate. They were then compared to the same systems without an interlayer. The microstructures were analyzed by XRD, EDS, and SEM. The hardness and surface load-carrying capacity of the coating systems were determined by micro- and macrohardness testing. Rockwell indentation was used to assess coating adhesion (CEN/TS 1071-8). Tribological properties were assessed with a reciprocating tribometer, and corrosion resistance was determined by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The originality of this work lies in the finding that, except for the Inconel 718/Ni-W-Cr-B/W-WC system, the wear rate decreases with decreasing hardness of the subsurface materials carrying the thin film due to the decreasing contact pressure for a given load. Another novel finding is the stress-induced phase transformation of the Co-Cr interlayer, which occurs beneath the thin film under high load.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye