Inspection of nickel-based boron carbide PTA coatings on AISI 4140 steel

Abstract

Purpose Plasma transferred arc (PTA) coating is a novel method for surface-coating applications. In this method, the substrate is melted using a plasma arc, and surfacing agents such as carbides are introduced to the melt pool. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of boron carbide (B4C) in nickel-based coating on AISI 4140 steel. Design/methodology/approach Samples were tested on a ball-on-disc wear device, and the microstructure, as well as wear properties, were investigated using SEM and XRD. Findings The effect of B4C addition was shown to be linear, with a p-value of 0.0248, indicating strong evidence. The reason for this increase was found to be the increase in third-body generation resulting from hard phases that form couples with the soft base material, nickel. It was concluded that using 6 per cent B4C was the optimal solution. Originality/value In the literature, the effect of neither low temperature on a nickel coating with B4C nor B4C as a single surfacing agent in a nickel base has been investigated.