EFFECT OF HVOF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON THE TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF AL65CU20FE15 COATINGS ON AISI 321 SUBSTRATE
Keywords:
Al-Cu-Fe, HVOF, tribology, XRD, SEM, friction coefficient, EDS.Abstract
This study systematically investigates the influence of high-velocity oxygen-fuel spraying (HVOF) parameters, with a particular emphasis on oxygen pressure, on the microstructure and tribological performance of Al65Cu20Fe15 coatings. The coatings were deposited at two oxygen pressures (3.0 and 3.5 bar) while maintaining other spraying process parameters constant. Microstructural characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and the phase composition was analyzed to assess the proportion of quasi-crystalline and crystalline phases. Tribological behavior was evaluated using a ball-on-disk sliding friction test with continuous recording of the friction coefficient. The results show that oxygen pressure significantly affects the coating density, phase composition, and tribofilm formation. The coating applied by spraying at 3.5 bar demonstrated the most balanced performance, with a stable friction coefficient of 0.55-0.60 and consistent wear, due to a higher proportion of the quasi-crystalline phase and a homogeneous tribofilm. Thus, the analysis revealed that processing the samples at 3.5 bar oxygen pressure is the optimal process mode, ensuring the formation of a dense microstructure and improved tribological properties of the coating.
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