Microstructure and Properties of Thermal Sprayed WC-CrC-Ni Coatings

Hard chrome plating has excellent resistance to corrosion and wear, but the hexavalent chromium associated with the plating process has serious environmental and health concerns. One of the alternative candidates to replace hard chrome plating is thermal sprayed tungsten carbide coating. In this paper, three different WC-CrC-Ni commercial powders were thermal sprayed to deposit coatings onto stainless steel substrates. The powder morphology and coating microstructure were examined. The coating properties, including hardness, adhesion force, deposition efficiency and wear resistance, were tested. It was found that even though the three powders have the same composition, their coating performances are slightly different. Despite the minor differences, the thermal sprayed WC-CrC-Ni coating is a hard and wear-resistant material, which can replace hard chrome plating on applications in the steel industry.