Oxidation corrosion wear and lubricating mechanisms of WC particles reinforced FeCoCrNiMn high - entropy alloys coatings

The FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy coating reinforced with WC particles was fabricated on 45# steel using plasma surfacing technique. A comprehensive characterization was conducted to investigate the friction and wear behavior of the coating at various temperatures. Results demonstrated that this coating exhibited exceptional wear resistance at room temperature (RT). However, it experienced slight decomposition of WC particles and oxidation corrosion at 400 °C, resulting in a degradation of its wear resistance. The WC decomposition and oxidation corrosion were aggravated at 600 °C, inducing a stronger oxidation corrosion wear effect, and thus led to a more severe wear of this coating. However, these oxidation products provided considerable lubrication effect resulting in a continuous decrease in friction coefficient, from 0.49 at RT to 0.44 at 400 °C, and reached a lower value of 0.16 at 600 °C. The potential oxidation corrosion wear and lubricating mechanisms of this coating at evaluated temperatures were discussed systematically.