Dry sand abrasion characteristics of WC-10Ni+NiCrBSi coatings

Abstract A WC-10Ni/NiCrBSi coating was prepared and applied to the surface of Q235 steel through vacuum brazing. Using a self-developed dry sand abrasion test machine, the effects of the abrasive sand’s type, load, and sliding speed on the dry sand abrasion property of the coating were analysed. The wear mechanism of dry sand abrasion was also investigated. The results indicated that the coating cross-section comprised three layers: the substrate, the interface layer, and the surface layer. The hard layer served as the main distribution area of WC hard particles, which directly determined the hardness and wear resistance of the coating. WC particles, fortified by a γ -Ni solid solution, enhanced the wear resistance and hardness of the coating. In the friction and wear test, when ceramic abrasives were employed, the coating sample exhibited a loss of only 23 mg, constituting only 7.9% of that observed with quartz sand abrasives. Under low loading conditions, the wear mass loss exhibited a linear relationship with the applied load. During these low-load scenarios, the abrasive particles operated through a rolling motion, thereby entailing an abrasive wear mechanism. Conversely, when the load exceeded 0.05 MPa, the primary mode of abrasive particle motion transitioned into sliding with burial, resulting in a combination of fatigue wear and abrasive wear mechanisms. Therefore, the dry sand abrasion mechanism inherent to composite coatings can be attributed to the protective shielding role played by WC particles on the substrate. This shielding function effectively mitigates and counteracts the abrasive cutting effects induced by abrasive particles.