EFFECT OF HVOF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON THE STRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF ZRCN COATINGS
Keywords:
ZrCN, HVOF, protective coatings, adhesion, microhardness, wear resistance, microstructureAbstract
The paper investigates the structural and mechanical properties of zirconium carbonitride (ZrCN) coatings deposited by high-velocity oxygen flame spraying (HVOF) on a U8G steel substrate. The effect of spraying process parameters on the adhesion strength and microhardness of the coatings is considered. It is established that changing the HVOF modes significantly affects the formation of the microstructure, density and quality of the coating–substrate interphase boundary. All the obtained coatings are shown to have high microhardness, exceeding that of the original material by more than 4–5 times. The maximum values of both adhesion strength and microhardness are achieved at optimal spraying parameters (mode c), which is associated with improved particle flattening, reduced porosity and the formation of a denser coating structure. The obtained results confirm the potential of using ZrCN coatings obtained by the HVOF method to increase the wear resistance and durability of parts operating under conditions of intense mechanical and thermal loads.
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