“…Coatings that have chromium resisted abrasive wear better, since they formed chromium carbides that are more resistant than the iron carbides; in addition, the more complex the chromium carbide and the better the morphological distribution of these carbides, the better the behavior against abrasive wear. The precipitation of carbides in steel depends on the amount of chromium and carbon; when the ratio is lower than 3:1, the formed carbide is cementite alloyed, but if the ratio is higher than 3:1, chromium carbides are formed as Cr 7 C 3 and Cr 23 C 6 [6]. Thus, a hardness test cannot fully evaluate the behavior against abrasive wear, since the relationship between microstructure and wear is very complex and is not fully understood.…”