A comparative study on the tribological behavior of various thermally sprayed Inconel 625 coatings in a saline solution and deionized water

In this study, thermally sprayed Inconel 625 coatings were used to improve the corrosion-wear resistance of 304L stainless steel substrates in saline environments. The tribological behavior of various Inconel 625 coatings obtained through flame spraying (F), arc spraying (A), plasma spraying (P), or high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying (H) was evaluated by testing the specimens on a pin-on-disk apparatus with a cup-shaped container that was filled with a 5 wt% NaCl solution or deionized (DI) water. The results indicated that regardless of the testing solution, the corrosion-wear resistance of the Inconel 625 coating specimens was in the order F > A > P > H. Microstructural examination revealed that the oxide within the as-sprayed Inconel 625 coating layer was mainly Cr2O3 and exhibited a higher hardness but lower elastic modulus than the Ni-based matrix. The oxide within the Inconel 625 coating layer is suggested to function as an antiwear phase against the corrosive-wear environment. The high corrosion-wear resistance of the F specimen was attributed to the high oxide content within its coating layer. In addition, all Inconel 625 coatings exhibited higher wear resistance in the 5 wt% NaCl solution than in the DI water, which implied that chloride lubricated the sliding wear, considerably reducing weight loss of the coating after corrosion wear.