Carbide-based thermal spray coatings: A review on performance characteristics and post-treatment

Components working under harsh environments in power generation, marine, and aerospace sectors are subjected to severe surface degradation because of wear, corrosion, and erosion by solid particles, slurry, silt, and cavitation. Carbide-based materials exhibit high resistance to degradation under such conditions because of their high hardness and chemical stability. These carbides can be effectively deposited as coatings on the components using advanced thermal spray techniques such as plasma spraying, HVOF, and HVAF. The carbide-based thermal spray coatings are majorly based on either WC or Cr3C2 or a combination of these materials. However, the composition of the carbides, the type and percentage of binders, and process parameters significantly affect the performance of these coated components. In this article, the degradation behavior and performance of the different carbide-based coatings as a function of carbide grain size and type of metallic binders, spray process parameters, and working conditions have been critically reviewed. On the other hand, the post-processing of carbide coatings is also emerging as a promising strategy to enhance the performance by modifying and refining the structure of coatings. Hence, a comprehensive summary of the post-processing techniques such as heat treatment, laser treatment, and cryogenic treatment of the carbide coatings is also provided.