Mechanical and surface characterization of Er2O3/La2O3/CeO2 doped carbide coating developed using high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF)

Abstract This study is mainly focused on effect of rare earth oxides on a composite coating applied to martensitic steel (SS410) using the high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) process. The composite coating consists of WC-10Co-4Cr doped with rare earth (erbium oxide/lanthanum oxide/cerium oxide; 0.2 wt%. each). The range of deposited coating thickness was 282–300 μ m. Mechanical testing, including tensile, flexural, and hardness tests, along with surface characterization, such as examining morphology, porosity, elemental composition, and phase identification with wettability testing has been conducted on both the substrate and coated samples. The hardness of the coatings is increased by approximately four times to the substrate. The coated sample has porosity in the range of ≥1 to ≤ 2%. The contact angle of the coated surface has enhanced (≈134°) than the substrate (≈61°), this indicates that the coated surface exhibits hydrophobicity.