Rare earth effect on the microstructure and tribological properties of FeNiCr coatings

FeNiCr alloys with various amounts of La2O3 powders were thermally sprayed onto steel substrate.Electron probe microscopy analysis (EPMA),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),and an Optimol SRV oscillating friction and wear tester in a ball-on-disc contact configuration were employed to investigate the properties of the sprayed coatings.The results show that rare earth can refine the microstructure effectively and make the element distribution uniform,which leads to the improvement in the properties of the coatings.Meanwhile,the wear rate of the FeNiCr alloy with 1.5% La2O3 is smaller than those of the other coatings.Interestingly,the rare earth can reduce the friction coefficient and act as a self-lubricant in the oxide debris layer formed on the worn surface in friction.The wear mechanism of the coatings is oxidation wear,and a large amount of counterpart material is transferred to the coatings.