Wear and corrosion behaviour of the cryogenically treated tungsten carbide coatings

The WC–12Co coatings were deposited on SS 410 substrates using a high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) process and the coatings were heat-treated at 750°C for 1 h in argon environment. Further, the coatings were subjected to cryogenic treatment for 1, 2, 8 and 24 h, and its influence on the reciprocating sliding wear and corrosion characteristics was studied. The structural changes in the coatings after post-treatment were assessed by X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy. Microhardness was improved for cryogenically treated coatings due to the α-Co transformation into ϵ-Co. Cryogenic treatment duration was not having a significant effect on the microhardness values. However, the specific wear rate was influenced by the cryogenic treatment duration. Also, corrosion resistance was increased with the increased cryogenic treatment duration. The protective layers consisting of WO3 and Co3O4 phases formed during the cryogenic treatment are attributed to the improved corrosion resistance of the coatings.