Comparison of Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Plasma, High Velocity Oxy-Fuel and Detonation Sprayed Coatings from an Iron-Based Powder

The microstructure and tribological properties of Fe-based amorphous coatings fabricated by plasma spray, high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spray and detonation spray have been compared. The relationship between spray technique, amorphous content, porosity and wear resistance behavior was investigated. The microstructures of the coatings were mainly composed of amorphous phase. The amorphous content of the coatings made by various spray techniques were 79.39%, 85.26% and 88.14%, respectively. The coatings exhibited better wear resistance than the stainless steel substrate. The detonation sprayed coating obtained the best wear properties, and the wear mechanism was typical fatigue wear.