Deposition of TiC-INCONELl825 Composite Coating on AISI 304 Steel By TIG Cladding Process

Abstract

TiC reinforced Inconel825 based hard and wear resistance composite coating was fabricated on AISI 304 steel by TIG cladding process utilizing in-house prepared Inconel825 powder from the discarded chip of turning operation and commercial TiC powder. The proposed coatings have inordinate potential applications, where resistance against wear and corrosion are the foremost requirement. The TiC concentration, preplaced layer thickness and processing current have found significant influence on the microstructure of the produced TiC-Inconel825 composite coating and consequently its mechanical performance. TiC reinforced Inconel 825 alloy matrix composite coating with different weight percentage (20, 40, and 60) of TiC has been produced by TIG cladding process. With the increase in TiC percentage in the produced coating a drastic alteration in the coating morphology perceived predominantly due to the degree of melting of predeposited TiC particles. The micro-hardness value measured at the cross-section of the coating reaches upto 1100 HV0.05, which is more than four times higher than the base material. The sliding abrasive wear resistance of the coating against alumina abrasive disc improved upto seven times as compared to the base material. The wear value measured through the height loss of the coated pin revealed the effect of TiC percentage as well as the sliding velocity during the test. The worn surfaces characterized by SEM suggested that the abrasion wear is predominant for removal of the coating along with delamination through the oxidation. The coefficient of friction of the coating assessed against harden steel plate (HRC58) indicated a gradual reduction from 0.71 to 0.60 with the increase in TiC content in the TiC-Inconel825 composite coating. The proposed coatings have inordinate potential applications in down-hole drilling tool used in crude oil exploration, where resistance against wear and corrosion are the foremost requirement.