Erosion wear behaviour and mechanism of abradable seal coating

The erosion wear behaviour and mechanism of several middle temperature seal coatings were investigated by a CMS 100 self made vacuum sand erosion machine. The results show that the relationship between the erosion mass loss and the erosion time is linear, the coatings hold a maximum erosion rate at 60° impact angle, and the relationship between the erosion rate and the impact speed is an exponential function. The speed exponent increases with the increase of the impact angle. At 90° impact, indentations and extruded lips were generated on the coating surface subjected to impact. With repetitive impact by the abrasive particles, the extruded lips were work hardened and peeled off, while flattened metal phase grains were impacted repeatedly, loosed and debonded. At 30° impact, the erosion wear of the coating is characterized by micro cutting, plowing and tunneling via pores and non metal phase. The model of the erosion mechanism is advanced on the basis of the above mentioned erosion wear behaviour.