Slurry erosion performance of HVOF-sprayed WC-based coatings on Al6061 alloy

This study examines the wear resistance and erosion resistance of tungsten carbide (WC) coatings sprayed with HVOF on Al6061 alloy. It highlights the impact of coating thicknesses (100 µm and 200 µm) under slurry erosion circumstances. Even though Al6061 alloy has good mechanical qualities, it does not withstand erosion well in high-velocity slurry conditions. Surface hardness and resistance to material loss were greatly increased by the application of WC coatings using the HVOF technique. A dense, homogeneous coating morphology with low porosity was validated by microstructural analysis using SEM and EDAX, guaranteeing excellent adherence to the substrate. In comparison to uncoated Al6061, the 200 µm WC coating reduced weight loss by up to 46 % in the slurry erosion tests, prevailing over the 100 µm coating, which demonstrated a 30 % reduction. The Hardness of Al6061 increased from 80 VHN to 500 VHN with the 200 µm WC coating, representing a remarkable improvement. The study highlights the novelty of systematically optimizing WC coating thickness for superior erosion resistance, with results demonstrating the effectiveness of thicker coatings in mitigating erosion-induced material loss.