Investigating the Water Jet Erosion Performance of HVOF-Sprayed WC-10Co Coatings on 35CrMo Steel Utilizing Design of Experiments

Abstract

To enhance the surface of a material with the desired qualities for diverse applications in service, a variety of thermal and thermo-chemical surface treatment processes are used. Due to the high-velocity impact inherent in the process, high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray is now frequently employed in industrial applications for its ability to generate a high-quality coating with appropriate hardness and low oxide content. In this investigation, a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying process was utilized to coat WC-10Co powders on a 35CrMo steel substrate. A water jet erosion test was also used to examine the substrate and coated samples’ erosion behavior. The erosion rate was systematically investigated using water jet variables such as the angle of impingement, water jet velocity, standoff distance, and erodent discharge. For the development of multiple regression models, experiments were performed utilizing the central composite rotatable design and the response surface methodology. The angle of impingement had the most impact on the rate of coating erosion, leading to the water jet velocity, standoff distance, and erodent discharge.