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Scratch Properties of Nb Ion-Implanted WC-Ni Cold Sprayed Coatings

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Abstract

The effect of niobium ion implantation on the surface and scratch properties of a WC-5wt.%Ni cold sprayed coating was investigated with accelerating energies of 60 and 170 keV and fluences of 5 × 1016 and 8 × 1016 ions cm−2, respectively. High-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy spectra revealed that Ni-Nb and WC-Nb amorphous layers had likely formed. Using ion implantation parameters of 60 keV with a fluence of 8 × 1016 ions cm-2 (coating 608-NB), higher Nb peak intensities were found. Oxide formation in the form of NbO, NbO2, and Nb2O5 was detected with high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra analyses on the 608-NB coating, in conjunction with the intermetallic, thereby having the best coating properties: higher hardness, low roughness, and scratch properties compared to the other ion-doped samples. The failure mechanisms of all the coatings were found to be similar, showing angular cracks, cone cracking, and primary delamination.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Peerawatt Nunthavarawong, upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support received from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa (Grant No: 41292). Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily to be attributed to the CoE-SM, DSI, or NRF. The authors acknowledge the technical support provided by Prof. Ionel Botef from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Funding

This research has received funding support from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa (Grant no: 41292).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. (Formerly) School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa

    P. Nunthavarawong

  2. DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, Johannesburg, South Africa

    P. Nunthavarawong & N. Sacks

  3. Tribo-Systems for Industrial Tools and Machinery Research Laboratory, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, 1518 PrachaRat 1 Rd., Wongsawang, Bang-Sue, Bangkok, 10800, Thailand

    P. Nunthavarawong

  4. Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    N. Sacks

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Contributions

PN contributed to conceptualization, investigation, methodology, validation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, and visualization; NS performed writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to P. Nunthavarawong.

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Nunthavarawong, P., Sacks, N. Scratch Properties of Nb Ion-Implanted WC-Ni Cold Sprayed Coatings. J. of Materi Eng and Perform (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-024-09490-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-024-09490-8

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