Effect of Nanodiamond Reinforcement on the Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed NiCrBSi Coating
摘要
NiCrBSi coatings have proven to be highly effective in delivering superior resistance to structures and components exposed to wear conditions. However, in harsh conditions, NiCrBSi faces high degradation, owing to its inferior mechanical properties. Further microstructural refinement and mechanical property enhancement of base NiCrBSi coatings can be achieved through secondary phase reinforcement. We deposited NiCrBSi composite coatings with 1wt% and 2wt% Nanodiamond (ND) using process optimization in Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS). The base and ND-reinforced NiCrBSi coatings were examined for microstructural, microhardness, and adhesion strength changes using SEM, XRD, ImageJ, and mechanical measurements. We have observed that ND reinforcing resulted in a smoother coating surface with reduced porosity (72%), increased microhardness (28.5%), and enhanced adhesion strength (65%) compared to the base NiCrBSi coatings. Hence, ND reinforcement to the plasma-sprayed NiCrBSi coating can be recommended as a potential method to further enhance the microstructural and mechanical properties of the plasma-sprayed NiCrBSi coatings.