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A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2018) | Viewed by 50715

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Prof. Dr. Aleksander Lisiecki

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Department of Welding Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18A Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: laser surface engineering; laser material processing; welding; coatings; the additive manufacturing of metal parts
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global tendency to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of technological processes, as well as machines and devices, causes parts of machines and tools to work in increasingly-difficult conditions. Ensuring the required durability and performance of machine parts and tools is a challenge for surface engineering, and, at the same time, requires excellent knowledge of wear mechanisms. The tribological characteristics of surface layers may be improved or modified by coatings, changing the microstructure of surface layers or thermochemical treatments, such as nitriding, carburizing, oxidizing, nitrooxidizing, etc. The most commonly-used methods of surface modification are thermal spraying of coatings, cladding, alloying, physical vapour deposition (PVD), chemical vapour deposition (CVD), salt-bath nitriding, ion implantation or plasma nitriding and others. Every method of surface modification has a specific scope of application, advantages and also limitations. Therefore, the method must be chosen individually, depending on substrate material, design and shape of the component, working conditions and predicted wear mechanisms.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the latest developments in the field of design, manufacturing and characterization of surface layers. The main topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Study of tribological characteristics of surface layers
Characterisation of surface layers (microstructure and properties)
Study of wear mechanisms of surface layers (abrasion, erosion, cavitation, etc.)
Study on technologies of surface modification
Design and manufacturing of surface layers

Prof. Dr. Aleksander Lisiecki
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 187 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Tribology and Surface Engineering

by Aleksander Lisiecki

Coatings 2019, 9(10), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9100663 - 13 Oct 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3104

Abstract

The Special Issue on Tribology and Surface Engineering includes nine research articles and one review article. It concerns a very important problem of resistance to wear and shaping the properties of the surface layers of different materials by different methods and technologies. The topics of the presented research articles include reactive direct current magnetron sputtering of silicon nitrides on implants, laser surface modification of aeroengine turbine blades, laser micro-texturing of titanium alloy to increase the tribological characteristics, electroplating of Cu–Sn composite coatings incorporated with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and TiO₂ particles, arc spraying of self-lubricous coatings, high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spraying and gas nitriding of stainless steel coatings, HVOF spraying composite WC-Co coatings, testing of coatings deposited by physical vapour deposition (PVD), and also analysis of material removal and surface creation in wood sanding. The special issue provides valuable knowledge based on theoretical and empirical study in the field of coating technologies, as well as characterization of coatings, and wear phenomena. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

Research

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10 pages, 1618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Functional Silicon Nitride Coatings for Joint Replacements

by Luimar Filho, Susann Schmidt, Klaus Leifer, Håkan Engqvist, Hans Högberg and Cecilia Persson

Coatings 2019, 9(2), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9020073 - 25 Jan 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4066

Abstract

Silicon nitride (SiN_x) coatings are currently under investigation as bearing surfaces for joint implants, due to their low wear rate and the good biocompatibility of both coatings and their potential wear debris. The aim of this study was to move further towards functional SiN_x coatings by evaluating coatings deposited onto CoCrMo surfaces with a CrN interlayer, using different bias voltages and substrate rotations. Reactive direct current magnetron sputtering was used to coat CoCrMo discs with a CrN interlayer, followed by a SiN_x top layer, which was deposited by reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. The interlayer was deposited using negative bias voltages ranging between 100 and 900 V, and 1-fold or 3-fold substrate rotation. Scanning electron microscopy showed a dependence of coating morphology on substrate rotation. The N/Si ratio ranged from 1.10 to 1.25, as evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Vertical scanning interferometry revealed that the coated, unpolished samples had a low average surface roughness between 16 and 33 nm. Rockwell indentations showed improved coating adhesion when a low bias voltage of 100 V was used to deposit the CrN interlayer. Wear tests performed in a reciprocating manner against Si₃N₄ balls showed specific wear rates lower than, or similar to that of CoCrMo. The study suggests that low negative bias voltages may contribute to a better performance of SiN_x coatings in terms of adhesion. The low wear rates found in the current study support further development of silicon nitride-based coatings towards clinical application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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19 pages, 9031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cracking, Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Laser Formed and Remelted K417G Ni-Based Superalloy

by Shuai Liu, Haixin Yu, Yang Wang, Xue Zhang, Jinguo Li, Suiyuan Chen and Changsheng Liu

Coatings 2019, 9(2), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9020071 - 24 Jan 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3621

Abstract

The K417G Ni-based superalloy is widely used in aeroengine turbine blades for its excellent properties. However, the turbine blade root with fir tree geometry experiences early failure frequently, because of the wear problems occurring in the working process. Laser forming repairing (LFR) is a promising technique to repair these damaged blades. Unfortunately, the laser formed Ni-based superalloys with high content of (Al + Ti) have a high cracking sensitivity. In this paper, the crack characterization of the laser forming repaired (LFRed) K417G—the microstructure, microhardness, and tribological properties of the coating before and after laser remelting—is presented. The results show that the microstructure of as-deposited K417G consists of γ phase, γ′ precipitated phase, γ + γ′ eutectic, and carbide. Cracking mechanisms including solidification cracking, liquation cracking, and ductility dip cracking are proposed based on the composition of K417G and processing characteristics to explain the cracking behavior of the K417G superalloy during LFR. After laser remelting, the microstructure of the coating was refined, and the microhardness and tribological properties was improved. Laser remelting can decrease the size of the cracks in the LFRed K417G, but not the number of cracks. Therefore, laser remelting can be applied as an effective method for strengthening coatings and as an auxiliary method for controlling cracking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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17 pages, 11953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment the Sliding Wear Behavior of Laser Microtexturing Ti6Al4V under Wet Conditions

by Juan Manuel Vazquez Martinez, Irene Del Sol Illana, Patricia Iglesias Victoria and Jorge Salguero

Coatings 2019, 9(2), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9020067 - 24 Jan 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3103

Abstract

Laser micro-texturing processes, compared to untreated surfaces, can improve the friction, wear and wettability behavior of sliding parts. This improvement is related to the micro-geometry and the dimensions of the texture which is also dependent on the processing parameters. This research studied the effect of laser textured surfaces on the tribological behavior of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. The influence of processing parameters was analyzed by changing the scanning speed of the beam and the energy density of pulse. First, the characterization of dimensional and geometrical features of the texturized tracks was carried out. Later, their influence on the wetting behavior was also evaluated through contact angle measurements using water as a contact fluid. Then, the tribological performance of these surfaces was analyzed using a ball-on-flat reciprocating tribometer under wet and dry conditions. Finally, wear mechanisms were identified employing electronic and optical microscopy techniques capable to evaluate the wear tracks on Ti surfaces and WC–Co spheres. These analyses had determined a strong dependence between the wear behavior and the laser patterning parameters. Wear friction effects were reduced by up to a 70% replacing conventional untreated surfaces of Ti6Al4V alloy with laser textured surfaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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12 pages, 7180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of TiO₂ Sol and PTFE Emulsion on Properties of Cu–Sn Antiwear and Friction Reduction Coatings

by Lixia Ying, Zhen Fu, Ke Wu, Chunxi Wu, Tengfei Zhu, Yue Xie and Guixiang Wang

Coatings 2019, 9(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9010059 - 19 Jan 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3982

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to obtain Cu–Sn composite coatings incorporated with PTFE and TiO₂ particles, which have superior antiwear and friction reduction properties. Electrodeposition was carried out in a pyrophosphate electrolyte, and the electrochemical behavior of the plating solutions was estimated. PTFE emulsion and TiO₂ sol were prepared and used, of which the average particle sizes were less than 283 and 158 nm, respectively. Then, four different types of coatings, Cu–Sn, Cu–Sn–TiO₂, Cu–Sn–PTFE and Cu–Sn–PTFE–TiO_2, were electroplated with a pulsed power supply. Their microstructure, composition, microhardness, corrosion resistance and tribological properties were then analyzed and compared in detail. The results show that both PTFE and TiO₂ are able to improve coating structure and corrosion resistance, while they have different effects on hardness and tribological properties. However, the presence of both PTFE and TiO₂ in the deposited coating leads to a lower friction coefficient of 0.1 and higher wear and corrosion resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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15 pages, 4921 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temperature-Induced Formation of Lubricous Oxides in Vanadium Containing Iron-Based Arc Sprayed Coatings

by Wolfgang Tillmann, Leif Hagen, David Kokalj, Michael Paulus and Metin Tolan

Coatings 2019, 9(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9010018 - 29 Dec 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3159

Abstract

In the field of surface engineering, the use of self-lubricous coatings with the incorporation of vanadium represent a promising approach to reduce friction, thus contributing to the wear behavior. For vanadium containing hard coatings produced by means of thin film technology, the reduction in friction at elevated temperatures was repeatedly attributed to temperature-induced and tribo-oxidatively formed oxides which act as solid lubricant. Only very few studies focused on the tribological characteristics of vanadium containing arc sprayed coatings. In this study, the tribological characteristics of a vanadium containing iron-based arc sprayed deposit were investigated in dry sliding experiments under ambient conditions and different temperatures. Types of wear at the worn surfaces and counterparts were examined by means of electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The speciation of vanadium in the superficial layer was determined using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. It was found that the vanadium-containing coating exhibited a distinctly reduction of the coefficient of friction above 450 °C which further decreased with increasing temperature. XANES spectroscopy indicated an increased oxidation state for the V component on the coating surface, suggesting the prevalence of specific vanadium oxides which promote a self-lubricating ability of the coating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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23 pages, 13637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of a Gear Oil on Abrasion, Scuffing, and Pitting of the DLC-Coated 18CrNiMo7-6 Steel

by Remigiusz Michalczewski, Marek Kalbarczyk, Anita Mańkowska-Snopczyńska, Edyta Osuch-Słomka, Witold Piekoszewski, Andrzej Snarski-Adamski, Marian Szczerek, Waldemar Tuszyński, Jan Wulczyński and Andrzej Wieczorek

Coatings 2019, 9(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9010002 - 20 Dec 2018

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3899

Abstract

The transmissions of mining conveyors are exposed to very harsh conditions. These are primarily related to the contamination of the gear oil with hard particles coming from coal and lignite, which can cause intensive abrasive wear, scuffing, and even pitting, limiting the life of gears. One of the ways to prevent this problem is the deposition of a wear-resistant coating onto gear teeth. However, a proper choice of gear oil is an important issue. The abrasion, scuffing, and pitting tests were performed using simple, model specimens. A pin and vee block tester was employed for research on abrasion and scuffing. To test pitting, a modified four-ball pitting tester was used, where the top ball was replaced with a cone. The test pins, vee blocks, and cones were made of 18CrNiMo7-6 case-hardened steel. A new W-DLC/CrN coating was tested. It was deposited on the vee blocks and cones. For lubrication, three commercial industrial gear oils were used: A mineral oil, and two synthetic ones with polyalphaolefin (PAO) or polyalkylene glycol (PAG) bases. The results show that, to minimize the tendency forabrasion, scuffing, and pitting, the (W-DLC/CrN)-8CrNiMo7-6 tribosystems should be lubricated by the PAO gear oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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14 pages, 5618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Sanding Process of Medium-Density Fiberboard and Korean Pine for Material Removal and Surface Creation

by Jian Zhang, Junhua Ying, Feng Cheng, Hongguang Liu, Bin Luo and Li Li

Coatings 2018, 8(12), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8120416 - 22 Nov 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3594

Abstract

As an important fine machining method, sanding operation is widely used in most engineered materials. In wood sanding, high material removal rate and surface quality are expected. Clarifying the material deformation in the sanding process is the key to improving sanding efficiency. In this study, a single grit scratching method is used to investigate the material removal and surface creation of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb.et Zucc). It is found that there are some differences in the material deformation during scratching Korean Pine and MDF, compared with grinding metals. A mechanism based on the anatomical cavities absorbing effect was proposed to account for the differences. This mechanism helps to explain why tiny, or even no, “pile-up” (like swelling ridges created by the ploughing effect) occurs during scratching Korean Pine, especially in longitudinal direction. MDF as a densified wood composite presented more pile-up and the variation of pile-up ratio was investigated. The porosity and wood grain direction exert great influence on material removal and surface creation in wood sanding. At the rubbing stage, a new method was developed to confirm the elastic spring back effect both in MDF and Korean Pine scratching. The results obtained and the approaches used in this paper could provide insights into the material removal and surface creation research of other wood species and wood composites to finally improve sanding efficiency and surface quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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8 pages, 3783 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Hardening of HVOF-Sprayed Austenitic Stainless-Steel Coatings by Gas Nitriding

by Thomas Lindner, Pia Kutschmann, Martin Löbel and Thomas Lampke

Coatings 2018, 8(10), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8100348 - 29 Sep 2018

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4585

Abstract

Austenitic stainless steel exhibits an excellent corrosion behavior. The relatively poor wear resistance can be improved by surface hardening, whereby thermochemical processes offer an economic option. The successful diffusion enrichment of bulk material requires a decomposition of the passive layer. A gas nitriding of high velocity oxygen fuel spraying (HVOF)-sprayed AISI 316L coatings without an additional activation step was studied with a variation of the process temperature depending on the heat-treatment state of the coating. A successful nitrogen enrichment was found in as-sprayed condition, whereas passivation prevents diffusion after solution heat treatment. The phase composition and microstructure formation were examined. The crystal structure and lattice parameters were determined using X-ray diffraction analysis. The identified phases were assigned to the different microstructural elements using the color etchant Beraha II. In as-sprayed condition, the phase formation in the coating is related to the process temperature. The formation of the S-phase with interstitial solvation of nitrogen is achieved by a process temperature of 420 °C. Precipitation occurs during the heat treatment at 520 °C. In both cases, a significant increase in wear resistance was found. The correlation of the thermochemical process parameters and the microstructural properties contributes to a better understanding of the requirements for the process combination of thermal spraying and diffusion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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11 pages, 8111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructure and Cavitation Erosion Resistance of HVOF Deposited WC-Co Coatings with Different Sized WC

by Xiang Ding, Du Ke, Chengqing Yuan, Zhangxiong Ding and Xudong Cheng

Coatings 2018, 8(9), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8090307 - 29 Aug 2018

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 4481

Abstract

Conventional, multimodal and nanostructured WC-12Co coatings with different WC sizes and distributions were prepared by high velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF). The micrographs and structures of the coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) et al. The porosity, microhardness and fracture toughness of the WC-Co coatings were measured. The coating resistance to cavitation erosion (CE) was investigated by ultrasonic vibration cavitation equipment and the cavitation mechanisms were explored. Results show that there is serious WC decarburization in nanostructured and multimodal WC-Co coatings with the formation of W₂C and W phases. The nanostructured WC-Co coating has the densest microstructure with lowest porosity compared to the other two WC-Co coatings, as well as the highest fracture toughness among the three coatings. It was also discovered that the nanostructured WC-Co coating exhibits the best CE resistance and that the CE rate is approximately one-third in comparison with conventional coating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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Review

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27 pages, 9601 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Micropitting Studies of Steel Gears

by Huaiju Liu, Heli Liu, Caichao Zhu and Ye Zhou

Coatings 2019, 9(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9010042 - 14 Jan 2019

Cited by 55 | Viewed by 11919

Abstract

With the mounting application of carburized or case-hardening gears and higher requirements of heavy-load, high-speed in mechanical systems such as wind turbines, helicopters, ships, etc., contact fatigue issues of gears are becoming more preponderant. Recently, significant improvements have been made on the gear manufacturing process to control subsurface-initiated failures, hence, gear surface-initiated damages, such as micropitting, should be given more attention. The diversity of the influence factors, including gear materials, surface topographies, lubrication properties, working conditions, etc., are necessary to be taken into account when analyzing gear micropitting behaviors. Although remarkable developments in micropitting studies have been achieved recently by many researchers and engineers on both theoretical and experimental fields, large amounts of investigations are yet to be further launched to thoroughly understand the micropitting mechanism. This work reviews recent relevant studies on the micropitting of steel gears, especially the competitive phenomenon that occurs among several contact fatigue failure modes when considering gear tooth surface wear evolution. Meanwhile, the corresponding recent research results about gear micropitting issues obtained by the authors are also displayed for more detailed explanations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology and Surface Engineering)

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