Preventing formation of intermetallic compounds in ultrasonic-assisted Sn soldering of Mg/Al alloys through pre-plating a Ni coating layer on the Mg substrate

Magnesium and aluminum alloys are widely used in various industries because of their excellent properties,and their reliable connection may increase application of materials.Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)affect the joint performance of Mg/Al.In this study,AZ31 Mg alloy with/without a nickel(Ni)coating layer and 6061 Al alloy were joined by ultrasonic-assisted soldering with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu(SAC)filler.The effects of the Ni coating layer on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints were systematically investigated.The Ni coating layer had a significant effect on formation of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints.The blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC formed in the Mg/SAC/Al joints without a Ni coating layer.The content of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC increased with increasing soldering temperature,but the joint strength decreased.The joint without a Ni coating layer fractured at the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC in the solder,and the maximum shear strength was 32.2 MPa.By pre-plating Ni on the Mg substrate,formation of the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC was inhibited in the soldering temperature range 240–280℃and the joint strength increased.However,when the soldering temperature increased to 310℃,the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC precipitated again in the solder.Transmission electron microscopy showed that some nano-sized Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the(Cu,Ni)_(6)Sn_(5)phase formed in the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint soldered at 280℃,indicating that the Ni coating layer could no longer prevent diffusion of Mg into the solder when the soldering temperature was higher than 280℃.The maximum shear strength of the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint was 58.2 MPa for a soldering temperature of 280℃,which was 80.7%higher than that of the Mg/SAC/Al joint,and the joint was broken at the Mg(Ni)/SAC interface.Pre-plating Ni is a feasible way to inhibit formation of IMCs when joining dissimilar metals.

Microstructure and tribological properties of laser cladding Fe-based coating on pure Ti substrate

Fe-based coating was produced on pure Ti substrate by the laser cladding technology. The composition and microstructure of the fabricated coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） technique. The tribological properties were tested through sliding against AISI52100 steel ball at different normal loads and sliding speeds. Besides, the morphologies of the worn surfaces and wear debris were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and three dimensional （3D） non-contact surface mapping. The results show that the prepared Fe-based coating has a high hardness of about 860 HV0.2 and exhibits an average wear rate of （0.70-2.32）×10-6 mm3/（N-m）, showing that the Fe-based coating can greatly improve the wear resistance of pure Ti substrate. The wear mechanism of the coating involves moderate adhesive and abrasive wear.

High temperature oxidation resistance and microstructure change of aluminized coating on copper substrate

The outermost coating with single phase Ni2Al3 was obtained on copper surface by electrodepositing nickel followed by slurry pack aluminizing at 800 °C for 12 h. The oxidation resistance and microstructure of the coating oxidized in ambient air at 1000 °C for 25-250 h were investigated using SEM, X-ray diffraction and optical microscope methods. The results show that the copper with single phase Ni2Al3 coating possesses the best high temperature oxidation resistance, and the mass gain of the coating is 1/15 that of pure copper and 1/2 that of nickel coating, respectively. The specimen surface after being oxidized for 25 h still comprises Ni2Al3 phase. However, when the time of oxidizing treatment increases to 50 h, the Ni Al phase is formed. It is also found that the Ni2Al3 phase completely turns into Ni Al phase after oxidizing treatment for 100 h and above. The Ni Al coating shows excellent high temperature oxidation resistance when oxidation time is 250 h.

Effects of surface roughness of substrate on properties of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings

Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings were deposited on Cr_17Ni_2 steel substrates with different surface roughnesses by vacuum cathodic arc deposition method. Microstructure, micro-hardness, adhesion strength and cross-sectional morphology of the obtained multilayer coatings were investigated. The results show that the Vickers hardness of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coating, with a film thickness of 11.37 μm, is 29.36 GPa. The erosion and salt spray resistance performance of Cr_17Ni_2 steel substrates can be evidently improved by Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coating. The surface roughness of Cr_17Ni_2 steel substrates plays an important role in determining the mechanical and erosion performances of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings. Overall, a low value of the surface roughness of substrates corresponds to an improved performance of erosion and salt spray resistance of multilayer coatings. The optimized performance of Ti/TiN/Zr/ZrN multilayer coatings can be achieved provided that the surface roughness of Cr_17Ni_2 steel substrates is lower than 0.4μm.

Assessing the corrosion protection property of coatings loaded with corrosion inhibitors using the real-time atmospheric corrosion monitoring technique

The atmospheric corrosion monitoring(ACM)technique has been widely employed to track the real-time corrosion behavior of metal materials.However,limited studies have applied ACM to the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings.This study compared a bare epoxy coating with one containing zinc phosphate corrosion inhibitors,both applied on ACM sensors,to observe their corrosion protection properties over time.Coatings with artificial damage via scratches were exposed to immersion and alternating dry and wet environments,which allowed for monitoring galvanic corrosion currents in real-time.Throughout the corrosion tests,the ACM currents of the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating were considerably lower than those of the blank epoxy coating.The trend in ACM current variations closely matched the results obtained from regular electrochemical tests and surface analysis.This alignment highlights the potential of the ACM technique in evaluating the corrosion protection capabilities of organic coatings.Compared with the blank epoxy coating,the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating showed much-decreased ACM current values that confirmed the effective inhibition of zinc phosphate against steel corrosion beneath the damaged coating.

Cracked elastic substrate strip with functionally graded coating under thermal-mechanical loading

This paper investigates the functionally graded coating bonded to an elastic strip with a crack under thermal- mechanical loading. Considering some new boundary conditions, it is assumed that the temperature drop across the crack surface is the result of the thermal conductivity index which controls heat conduction through the crack region. By the Fourier transforms, the thermal-elastic mixed boundary value problems are reduced to a system of singular integral equations which can be approximately solved by applying the Chebyshev polynomials. The numerical computation methods for the temperature, the displacement field and the thermal stress intensity factors （TSIFs） are presented. The normal temperature distributions （NTD） with different parameters along the crack surface are analyzed by numerical examples. The influence of the crack position and the thermal-elastic non- homogeneous parameters on the TSIFs of modes I and 11 at the crack tip is presented. Results show that the variation of the thickness of the graded coating has a significant effect on the temperature jump across the crack surfaces when keeping the thickness of the substrate constant, and the thickness of functionally graded material （FGM） coating has a significant effect on the crack in the substrate. The results can be expected to be used for the purpose of gaining better understanding of the thermal-mechanical behavior of graded coatings.

Effect of ball peening of substrate on microstructure, phase evolution and properties of electrophoretically deposited YSZ/(Ni,Al) composite coatings

YSZ/（Ni, Al） composite coatings were deposited on Inconel600 superalloy with ball peening （BP） and without （non BP）treatment using the electrophoretic deposition （EPD） technique, followed by vacuum sintering method. The structures and phaseevolution of the coatings were studied with X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersivespectrometry （EDS）. The relation between microstructures and properties of the BPs-coated samples was discussed. The results showthat the adhesion strength and gain mass of the BPs-coated samples with isothermal oxidation at 1100℃ for 100 h are 3.3 N and0.00817 mg/cm^2, respectively, while those of the non-BPs-coated sample are 2.6 N and 0.00559 mg/cm^2, respectively. The EDSmapping analysis indicates that an obvious outward diffusion of Cr from the substrate to BPs coated samples occurs after isothermaloxidation. The BPs-coated sample shows the superior adhesion and oxidation resistance compared with non-BPs-coated samples.

Iridium Coating Deposited by Double Glow Plasma Technique——Effect of Glow Plasma on Structure of Coating at Single Substrate Edge

Double glow plasma technique has a high deposition rate for preparing iridium coating. However, the glow plasma can influence the structure of the coating at the single substrate edge. In this study, the iridium coating was prepared by double glow plasma on the surface of single niobium substrate. The microstructure of iridium coating at the substrate edge was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The composition of the coating was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. There was a boundary between the coating and the substrate edge. The covered area for the iridium coating at the substrate edge became fewer and fewer from the inner area to the outer flange-area. The bamboo sprout-like particles on the surface of the substrate edge were composed of elemental niobium. The substrate edge was composed of the Nb coating and there was a transition zone between the Ir coating and the Nb coating. The interesting phenomenon of the substrate edge could be attributed to the effects of the bias voltages and the plasma cloud in the deposition chamber. The substrate edge effect could be mitigated or eliminated by adding lots of small niobium plates around the substrate in a deposition process.

Dynamic-stiffening-induced aggravated cracking behavior driven by metal-substrate-constraint in a coating/substrate system

Air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings(APS-TBCs)saw their wide application in high-temperaturerelated cutting-edge fields.The lamellar structure of APS-TBCs provides a significant advantage on thermal insulation.However,short life span is a major headache for APS-TBCs.This is highly related to the property changes and passive behaviors of the coatings during thermal service.Herein,a finite element model was developed to investigate the dynamic stiffening and substrate constraint on total spallation process.Results show that the stiffening accelerates the crack propagation of APS-TBCs.The driving force for crack propagation,which is characterized by strain energy release rate(SERR),is significantly enlarged.Consequently,the crack starts to propagate when the SERR exceeds the fracture toughness.In addition,the changing trends of SERR and crack propagation features are highly associated with temperatures.A higher temperature corresponds to more significant effect of stiffening on substrate constraint.In brief,temperature-dependent stiffening significantly aggravates the substrate constraint effect on APS-TBCs,which is one of the major causes for the spallation.Given that,lowering stiffening degree is essential to maintain high strain tolerance,and to further extend the life span of APS-TBCs.This understanding contributes to the development of advanced TBCs in future applications.

An interface shear damage model of chromium coating/steel substrate under thermal erosion load

The Cr-plated coating inside a gun barrel can effectively improve the barrel’s erosion resistance and thus increase the service life.However,due to the cyclic thermal load caused by high-temperature gunpowder,micro-element damage tends to occur within the Cr coating/steel substrate interface,leading to a gradual deterioration in macro-mechanical properties for the material in the related region.In order to mimic this cyclic thermal load and,thereby,study the thermal erosion behavior of the Cr coating on the barrel’s inner wall,a laser emitter is utilized in the current study.With the help of in-situ tensile test and finite element simulation results,a shear stress distribution law of the Cr coating/steel substrate and a change law of the interface ultimate shear strength are identified.Studies have shown that the Cr coating/steel substrate interface’s ultimate shear strength has a significant weakening effect due to increasing temperature.In this study,the interfacial ultimate shear strength decreases from 2.57 GPa(no erosion)to 1.02 GPa(laser power is 160 W).The data from this experiment is employed to establish a Cr coating/steel substrate interface shear damage model.And this model is used to predict the flaking process of Cr coating by finite element method.The simulation results show that the increase of coating crack spacing and coating thickness will increase the service life of gun barrel.

Investigation on plasma-sprayed ZrO_2 thermal barrier coating on nickel alloy substrate

The thermal barrier coatings with NiCrAlY alloy bonding layer, NiCrAlY Y 2O 3 stabilized ZrO 2 transition layer and Y 2O 3 stabilized ZrO 2 ceramic layer are prepared on nickel alloy substrates using the plasma spray technique. The relationship among the composition, structure and property of the coatings are investiga ted by means of optical microscope, scanning electronic microscope and the experiments of thermal shock resistance cycling and high temperature oxidation resistance. The results show that the structure design of introdu cing a transition layer between Ni alloy substrate and ZrO 2 ceramic coating guarantees the high quality and properties of the coatings; ZrO 2 coatings doped with a little SiO 2 possesses better thermal shock resistance and more excellent hot corrosion resistance as compared with ZrO 2 coating materials without SiO 2 ;the improvement in performance of ZrO 2 coating doped with SiO 2 is due to forming more dense coating structure by self closing effects of the flaws and pores in the ZrO 2 coatings.

Abrasive wear behavior of cast iron coatings plasma-sprayed at different mild steel substrate temperatures

Three kinds of cast iron coatings were prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying. During the spraying, the mild steel substrate temperature was controlled to be averagely 50, 180, and 240℃, respectively. Abrasive wear tests were conducted on the coatings under a dry friction condition. It is ibund that the abrasive wear resistance is enhanced with the substrate temperature increasing. SEM observations show that the wear losses of the coatings during the wear tests mainly result from the spalling of the splats. Furthermore, the improved wear resis- tance of the coatings mainly owes to the formation of oxides and the enhancement in the mechanical properties with the substrate temperature increasing.

Studies on thermally grown oxide as an interface between plasma-sprayed coatings and a nickel-based superalloy substrate

A thermally grown oxide layer formed by hot corrosion was investigated as an interface between plasma-sprayed coatings and a nickel-based superalloy substrate. The hot corrosion mechanism of NiCr–Cr_2O_3 and Al_2O_3–40wt% TiO_2(A40T) plasma coated Inconel 617 was evaluated. The experiments were carried out at 1000°C using a combination of Na_2SO_4, NaCl, and V_2O_5 salts to simulate the conditions of a gas turbine in a marine environment. The hot corrosion results revealed the spallation and dissolution of oxides upon prolonged exposure. Optical images and scanning electron micrographs of the exposed samples revealed the formation of oxide scale and provided details of its morphology in NiCr–Cr_2O_3 coated samples. Microstructure characterization of A40T coatings demonstrated a thermally grown oxide(TGO) layer at 1000°C. Increasing the thickness of the TGO layer decreased the corrosion resistance. The elemental analysis and image mapping revealed the migration of active elements from the substrate and coatings toward the corrosive environment.

Effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 high-entropy alloy coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering

The effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical tests.The FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating was mainly composed of the face-centered cubic phase.High substrate temperature promoted the densification of the coating,and the pitting resistance and protective ability of the coating in 3.5wt%NaCl solution was thus improved.When the deposition time was prolonged at 500℃,the thickness of the coating remarkably increased.Meanwhile,the pitting resistance improved as the deposition time increased from 1 to 3 h;however,further improvement could not be obtained for the coating sputtered for 5 h.Overall,the pitting resistance of the FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating sputtered at 500℃for 3 h exceeds those of most of the reported high-entropy alloy coatings.

Preparation of calcium phosphate coating on pure titanium substrate by electrodeposition method

The influences of pH value, electrolyte temperature and loading time on depositing calcium phosphate coating on pure titanium substrate by electrodeposition process were investigated. The process was carried out with an electrochemical work-station supplying a direct current power at potential of -0.8V （vs SCE）. The electrolyte consists of 7 mmol·L-1 CaCl2·2H2O, 3 mmol·L-1 Ca（H2PO4）2·H2O and 2.5% H2O2. NaOH and HCl solutions were used to adjust pH value. The deposited samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The comparison of the deposits obtained at lower and higher pH values demonstrates that the crystallization process at the interface is favoured by high pH value. With temperature increasing, the deposited hydroxyapatite is occasionally of plate-like shape, and the width and the length of the deposited calcium phosphates at 65 ℃ are larger than those at 55 ℃. Therefore, it is confirmed that the morphology and microstructure of electrochemically deposited calcium phosphates can be regulated. Additionally, the coating formed in electrolyte with H2O2 additive is homogeneous and the evolution of H2 bubble can be eliminated.

Zinc-doped hydroxyapatite-zeolite/polycaprolactone composites coating on magnesium substrate for enhancing in-vitro corrosion and antibacterial performance

This work is focused on developing zinc-doped hydroxyapatite-zeolite(Zn HA-Zeo)and polycaprolactone(PCL)composite coatings on magnesium(Mg)substrate to improve the corrosion resistance and antimicrobial properties.Dip-coating technique was used to coat Zn HA-Zeo/PCL on the Mg substrate at room temperature.The samples were subjected to field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX)and antimicrobial potential.Results demonstrated that composite coatings consist of HA,scholzite,zeolite,and PCL phases.EDX spectra indicated the presence of calcium(Ca),silicon(Si),aluminum(Al),zinc(Zn),phosphorus(P)and oxygen(O).The composite surface appeared in spherical-like microstructure on coating with thickness ranging 226-260μm.Zinc-doped HA-Zeo composite coating had a high corrosion resistance and provided sufficient protection to the Mg surface against galvanic corrosion.Doped Zn HA-Zeo coating samples exhibited superior disc inhibition by confirming antimicrobial activity against the E.coli as compared to HA-Zeo sample.Altogether these results showed that the Zn HA-Zeo coatings not only improved the corrosion resistance,but also enhanced the antimicrobial property and hence they can be used as suitable candidates for implant applications.

The Surface Morphologies and Spectroscopy Analysis of VC Coatings on the Substrate of Cr12MoV Prepared by TD Process after Salt Spray

The normal temperature corrosion of VC coating on the substrate of Cr12MoV prepared by TD process was tested in 5% NaCl aqueous solution, its surface morphologies and corrosion components after salt spray were observed with SEM and EDS, respectively, and the effects of salt spray on micro-structures of VC coating were analyzed. Moreover, the invalidation mechanism of VC coating after salt spray and its effect on substrate material were discussed. The experimental results shown that the uniformity and integrity of VC coating surface are destroyed by salt spray for 120 h, a large number of the pits are produced on the coating surface, and the coating falls off, which speeds corrosion breakage of its substrate; the oxidated film on its surface becomes rougher, broken and discontinuous, and falls off easily, which reduce the ability of resistance salt spray; the failure modes of VC coating after salt spray are expressed with falling off of oxidated film, stress concentration and pore effect and so on, the corrosion breakage of oxidated film is the corrosion result of deoxidization corrosion from oxygen and HCl produced by NaCl and vapor.

Mechanical properties of TiO_2-hydroxyapatite nanostructured coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates by APS method

TiO2-hydroxyapatite （HA） nanostructured coatings were produced by atmospheric plasma spray method. The effects of starting powder composition and grain size on their mechanical properties were investigated. The microstructure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. It is found that the coating with 10% HA has the best mechanical properties. Based on Rietveld refinement method, the mean grain size of the as-received powder （212 nm） extensively decreases to 66.4 nm after 20 h of high-energy ball milling. In spite of grain growth, the deposited coatings maintain their nanostructures with the mean grain size of 112 nm. SEM images show that there is a lower porosity in the coating with a higher HA content. Optical microscopy images show that uniform thickness is obtained for all the coatings.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of interface between laser cladded Hastelloy coating and steel substrate

In order to improve the corrosion resistance of carbon steel,Hastelloy coatings were prepared on E235steel substrate by ahigh power diode laser with laser scanning speeds of6and12mm/s,respectively.The interface between the coating and substratewas firstly exposed by dissolving off the substrate.Its microstructure,composition and mechanical properties were systemicallystudied.Special“edges”along the grain boundary were found at coating/substrate interface.These“edges”consisted of intergranularcorrosion area and real grain boundary.The interface of coating mainly displayed austenite structure ascribed to the rapidsolidification as well as the dilution of Ni during preparation.Additionally,Hastelloy coating and its interface prepared at the speedof12mm/s showed higher hardness than that prepared at the speed of6mm/s.Grain boundaries had higher friction coefficient thangrains at both coating/substrate interfaces.Moreover,the interface at higher laser scanning speed exhibited smaller grains,lowerdilution rates of Ni and Fe as well as a better tribological property.

Vanadium Carbide Coating Growth on Die Steel Substrate in Borax Salt Bath

Vanadium pentoxide, borax, boron carbide and sodium fluoride were used to grow vanadium carbide coating on die steel（Cr12, Cr12MoV） surface at 950 ℃ by TD process, which extended the life period of Cr12 and Cr12MoV as punching die. Kinetics of vanadium carbide coating growth was brought forward and verified by comparison of the mathematical model with the experimental results. The thickness of coating was illustrated by SEM. The chemical constituent of coating and remnants were tested by XRD. To increase the thickness, rare earths （FeSiRe23） were added to the borax salt bath. The electronic probe microanalysis （EPMA） revealed that the addition of rare earths could decrease carbon concentration in the coating and increase the depth of vanadium carbide coating.