Wear behavior of thermally sprayed Zn/15Al, Al and Inconel 625 coatings on carbon steel

• Wear behavior of various arc-sprayed coatings was evaluated in a NaCl solution.
• Inconel 625 coating has a better wear resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution.
• Corrosive wear mechanisms for the Zn/15Al and Al coatings were proposed.
• Surface oxide plays a vital role in the wear resistance of the coating layer.

In this study, Zn/15Al, Al and Inconel 625 coatings were applied on low carbon steel substrates by twin wire arc spray process as a corrosion and wear protection barrier against the marine atmosphere. The wear behavior of the coating layer was characterized by a pin-on-disk apparatus at a combination condition of three normal loads and two sliding speeds. The wear tests were conducted in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution to evaluate the wear resistance of the coatings in a corrosive environment. The results suggested that the Inconel 625 coating had a better wear resistance in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution as compared to the ZnAl and Al specimens. Zn/15Al coatings revealed less wear resistant in a corrosive environment due to the rupture of the oxide film on the coating surface during wear. For the sacrificial protection coatings of Zn/15Al and Al, the characteristics of surface oxide film play a vital role in the wear resistance of the coating materials.