Development of cermet coatings by kinetic spray technology for the application of die-soldering and erosion resistance

Soldering and erosion of casting moulds and their components are one of the most prominent and persistent problems occurring in the die-casting industry. In this study, MoB- and Co-based cermets and alloy, respectively, were deposited on bond coated hard substrates (SKD61) using kinetic spray coating technique. Coating of hard powder materials on hard substrate using kinetic spray technique has also been considered a difficult phenomenon. Microstructural and mechanical characterization of the coatings was carried out by SEM, XRD, micro-hardness, bond strength and wear resistance tests. The results showed that Co-based alloy displayed the highest deposition efficiency along with microstructural properties. However, MoB/NiCr demonstrated the highest mechanical properties. The coatings were tested for soldering resistance by immersion of coated SKD61 cylinders in molten aluminium alloy (ADC-12) bath. MoB/NiCr displayed superior soldering resistance among the coatings. Among the candidate coatings, MoB/NiCr is considered as the one with the highest durability in a die-casting operation.