Study on the Interaction between Corrosion and Sliding Wear of Thermal Spraying WC-10Co4Cr Coating

WC coatings applied in special environments, such as marine environments, suffer from both corrosion and wear damage. During equipment operation, the coating is primarily affected by wear, while during idle periods, corrosion dominates. Therefore, understanding the interaction between corrosion resistance and wear behavior of WC coatings is critical. In this study, WC-10Co4Cr coating was prepared by high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying method, and the effects of wear after corrosion and corrosion after wear were investigated. The study focused on the interaction between corrosion and wear of WC-10Co4Cr coating in marine environment. The results showed that, after wear, the WC-10Co4Cr coating exhibited a more positive corrosion potential due to the oxide of Cr and the wear products. The corrosion rate of WC-10Co4Cr coating decreased after wearing. The corrosion rate of WC-10Co4Cr coating decreased by up to 94.62%. Furthermore, the friction coefficient of the WC-10Co4Cr coating was lower after corrosion due to the formation of corrosion products, which led to a reduction in wear rate by up to 80.52%. The wear morphology of the high hardness WC-10Co4Cr coating after corrosion was smoother and flatter. The experiment results indicated that corrosion and wear in WC-10Co4Cr coating showed a mutual inhibitory antagonistic effect, in which wear contributed significantly to material loss rate, playing a major role in the coating failure process.