Wear behavior of ceramic powder cladded on carbon steel surface by gas tungsten arc welding

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the wear behavior of a carbon steel surface after cladding by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) method to enhance wear resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

The microstructures, chemical compositions, and wear characteristics of cladded surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). A rotating‐type tribometer was used to evaluate the wear characteristics of cladded specimens under dry sliding conditions at room temperature. The dry sliding wear resistance of the coatings was tested as a function of applied load and sliding time, and wear mechanisms were elucidated by analyzing wear surfaces.

Findings

The experimental results revealed an excellent metallurgical bond between the composite coating and substrate. The coating was uniform, continuous, and almost defect‐free, and particles were evenly distributed throughout the cladding layer. Hardness was increased from 200 HV in the substrate to 650‐800 HV in the modified layer due to the presence of the hard TiC phase. The excellent wear resistance and very low load sensitivity observed in the dry sliding wear test of the intermetallic matrix composite coating were due to the high hardness of TiC and the strong atomic bonds of the intermetallic matrix.

Originality/value

The experiments in this study confirm that, by reducing friction and anti‐wear, the cladding layer prepared using the proposed methods can prolong machinery operating life.

Citation

Peng, D., Kang, Y., Li, Z. and Chang, S. (2013), "Wear behavior of ceramic powder cladded on carbon steel surface by gas tungsten arc welding", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 65 No. 2, pp. 129-134. https://doi.org/10.1108/00368791311303492