INCREASING THE WEAR RESISTANCE OF Al-Mg COMPONENTS USING THERMAL-SPRAY COATINGS

In the present work, plasma-spray technology was applied as a means to improve the durability of Al-Mg alloy parts. NiCrSiBFe coatings deposited on aluminium-magnesium alloy substrates with different thickness values were studied. Before spraying, the surfaces of aluminium-magnesium alloy were modified upon applying different surface pre-treatment methods. The phase composition, microstructure, microhardness, porosity and adhesion of the deposited coatings were characterized. Ball-on-plate wear tests of the NiCrSiBFe coatings were carried out in dry and lubricated conditions, using a scanning electron microscope to characterize the worn track and the wear mechanism. The correlation of the coating porosity and the adhesion strength with the thickness of a deposited layer was determined. The results revealed that the plasma-sprayed NiCrSiBFe coatings, compared with the uncoated Al-Mg substrate, provide both a stable friction coefficient and an improved wear resistance, which is about two times better under dry sliding and about five times better under lubricated sliding.