Effect of CeO2 on the microstructure and wear behavior of thermal spray welded NiCrWRE coatings

NiCrWRE alloy coatings with the addition of CeO2 were produced on a medium-carbon steel substrate by thermal spray welding. The bonding strength of the coatings was measured by tensile testing and reached 300–350 MPa. The wear behavior of the coatings was investigated under dry sliding wear conditions, and was compared with that of NiCrW coatings produced without the addition of CeO2. The results show that the hardness and wear resistance of the thermal spray welded coatings are significantly increased with the addition of CeO2. Analysis of the worn surfaces revealed that the coatings with CeO2 addition show improved abrasive wear resistance over the coatings without CeO2.