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® 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.