Solid particle erosion behavior of nichrome coated duplex stainless steel

Abstract

One of the most serious concerns for the industry is material degradation, which leads to premature failure. Solid particle erosion (SPE) is a significant material degradation phenomenon. To be more specific, the erosion problem is made worse by the fluid inclusion of gravel and other contaminants. Despite being well studied and predicted, the process of solid particle erosion is still not properly known. Therefore, additional experimental research is still required to properly understand the erosion process and offer novel erosion resistance strategies. Employing coatings is the most effective technique to reduce/prevent solid particle erosion. The most commonly used methods to improve erosion resistance are proper material selection and the application of coatings. The erosion behaviour of atmospheric plasma-coated Nichrome (NiCr) on coated and uncoated duplex stainless steel (DSS2205) substrates were investigated. The erosion test is performed using an air-jet erosion tester with alumina as the erodent at velocities of 150, 175 and 200 m/s, impact angles of 30°, 45° and 90°, and discharge rates of 2.5, 3.75 and 5 gm/min. This study discovered that the most influential factors of erosion are impact angle. When the impact angle is 90°, the velocity is 150 m/s, and the discharge rate is 5 gm/min, the erosion was minimal. Analysis of the surface microstructure reveals many erosion mechanisms linked to various incidence angles. The erosion mechanism changes from micro-ploughing to plastic deformation for low to high impact angles. Furthermore, metallographic examinations are used in conjunction with the experimental results. As per the experimental findings, coating bare substrates with NiCr can substantially increase erosion resistance. Moreover, NiCr coatings on bare substrates showed a 47% reduction in erosion wear, primarily as a result of their better toughness, higher density, improved micro-hardness, and lower porosity.