Wear Resistance of Plasma-Sprayed Coatings in Intensive Abrasive Wear Conditions

The abrasive wear resistance of plasma-sprayed oxide ceramic (Al2O3 and Cr2O3) and clad cermet ((Ti-Cr-C)-30% Ni and (TiC)-30% Ni) coatings was studied. The wear characteristics of the coatings such as wear rates, friction forces, friction coefficients, and wear groove depth determined with two methods were compared. The wear test methods included simulation of the friction process using loose abrasive particles and reciprocal ball-on-disk friction using a diamond indenter. The plasma-sprayed TiC-based coatings showed the lowest wear rate and can be applied to protect equipment parts subjected to intensive abrasive wear. The wear loss of the (Ti-Cr-C)-30% Ni and (TiC)-30% Ni coatings determined by friction against loose abrasive particles was 10-17 mu m, while the wear loss of the oxide ceramic coatings was 20-42 mu m, being 2-2.5 times higher on average.