Effect of high-temperature annealing on the structure and micromechanical properties of NiCrBSi coatings formed by high-velocity gas-thermal spraying

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

Problem. Alloys of the NiCrBSi system are widely used for gas-thermal spraying of protective coatings due to their low melting point. However, coatings formed by high-velocity gas-thermal spraying are characterised by residual porosity and a layered structure, which limits their strength properties. A literature review revealed a lack of systematic data on the influence of subsequent high-temperature annealing on the transformation of the structural-phase composition, continuity, and the complex of micromechanical characteristics of such coatings. Aim. To evaluate the effect of vacuum annealing at 1050 °C on the structural-phase composition, continuity, and micromechanical properties (microhardness, Martens hardness, contact elastic modulus) of NiCrBSi coatings produced by high-velocity gas-thermal spraying. Methods. NiCrBSi alloy coatings were deposited by high-velocity gas-thermal spraying. The samples were subjected to vacuum annealing at 1050 °C with an isothermal hold of 2 h and subsequent furnace cooling. The study of structural-phase changes was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray phase analysis, and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Micromechanical properties were evaluated by measuring microhardness (recovered indentation method) and instrumented microindentation. Results. It was experimentally confirmed that annealing at 1050 °C leads to the formation of a dense homogeneous structure without layering. The formation of large strengthening phases – carbides (Cr7C3 and Cr23C6) and CrB chromium borides – was recorded, which increases the strength characteristics of the coating during indentation by 25–30 %. It was found that the contact elastic modulus increases from 130 to 228 GPa due to the elimination of discontinuities. Additional heating to 900 °C does not cause changes in the structure and hardness, which confirms the high thermal stability of the coating subjected to high-temperature (at 1050 °C) annealing. Conclusions. Hightemperature vacuum annealing at 1050 °C is an effective post-treatment method for sprayed NiCrBSi coatings, providing a 1.3-fold increase in hardness and a 1.7-fold increase in the elastic modulus due to the formation of larger strengthening phases and a reduction in the number of discontinuities.

About the authors

Aleksandr K. Stepchenkov

M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of RAS

Author for correspondence.
Email: alexander.stepchenkov@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9431-0170

junior researcher

Russian Federation, 620108, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Sofya Kovalevskaya Street, 18.

Aleksey V. Makarov

M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of RAS

Email: avm@imp.uran.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2228-0643

Doctor of Science (Engineering), Head of Department,
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
Head of Laboratory.

Russian Federation, 620108, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Sofya Kovalevskaya Street, 18.

Natalya N. Soboleva

Institute of Engineering Science of the Ural Branch of RAS

Email: soboleva@imach.uran.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7598-2980

PhD (Engineering),
Head of sector.

Russian Federation, 620049, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Komsomolskaya Street, 34.

Aleksandr A. Vopneruk

JSC “SPE Mashprom”

Email: vopneruk@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0179-5453

PhD (Engineering),
Project Manager. 

Russian Federation, 620012, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoznamennaya Street, 5.

Aleksandr B. Kotelnikov

JSC “SPE Mashprom”

Email: office@mashprom.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0005-9471-9378

General Director

Russian Federation, 620012, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoznamennaya Street, 5.

References

  1. Diyao Zhang, Zijun Peng, Zhenli Liu, Jingkun Yu, Lei Yuan. Study on wear protection performance of HVAF WC–Cr3C2–Ni coatings deposited on crystallizer surface. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2024, vol. 481, article number 130640. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2024.130640.
  2. Sadeghimeresht E., Markocsan N., Nylén P., Björklund S. Corrosion performance of bi-layer Ni/Cr2C3–NiCr HVAF thermal spray coating. Applied Surface Science, 2016, vol. 369, pp. 470–481. doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.02.002.
  3. Bortolotti L., Ruggiero G., Bolelli G., Lusvarghi L., Morelli S., Björklund S., Lanz O., Joshi S. Effect of powder morphology on tribological performance of HVAF-sprayed WC–CoCr coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2025, vol. 505, article number 132090. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.132090.
  4. Yi Ren, Xia Liu, Cheng Chang, Shihong Zhang. Tribological performance of c–BN/TiC-enhanced NiCrBSi coatings prepared by high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying tested from room temperature to 1000 °C. Ceramics International, 2024, vol. 50, no. 13-A, pp. 22947–22959. doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.04.019.
  5. Shuecamlue S., Taman A., Khamnantha P., Banjongprasert C. Influences of flame remelting and WC–Co addition on microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of NiCrBSi coatings manufactured via HVOF process. Surfaces and Interfaces, 2024, vol. 48, article number 104135. doi: 10.1016/j.surfin.2024.104135.
  6. Xingfu Sun, Fangyi Li, Yanle Li, Jiyu Du, Xiaoxia Qi, Weiqiang Cui, Jiatin Niu. Enhancing the wear and high-temperature oxidation behavior of NiCrBSi coatings by collaboratively adding WC and Cr3C2. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2023, vol. 473, article number 129968. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2023.129968.
  7. Niranatlumpong P., Koiprasert H. Phase transformation of NiCrBSi–WC and NiBSi–WC arc sprayed coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2011, vol. 206, no. 2-3, pp. 440–445. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2011.07.057.
  8. Hui Peng, Chang Liu, Hongbo Guo, Yuan Yuan, Shengkai Gong, Huibin Xu. Fabrication of WCp/NiBSi metal matrix composite by electron beam melting. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 2016, vol. 666, pp. 320–323. doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2016.04.079.
  9. Jianqing Sun, Chong Chen, Guofeng Zhang, Liujie Xu, Shizhong Wei, Tao Jiang, Feng Mao, Changji Wang, Kunming Pan, Cheng Zhang. Impact abrasive wear of tungsten carbide reinforced NiBSi coating fabricated by plasma transferred arc welding. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2024, vol. 494, part 3, article number 131507. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2024.131507.
  10. Aliabadi M., Khodabakhshi F., Soltani R., Gerlich A.P. Modification of flame-sprayed NiCrBSi alloy wear-resistant coating by friction stir processing and furnace re-melting treatments. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2023, vol. 455, article number 129236. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2023.129236.
  11. Xingxing Wang, Qingbo Qu, Xinmei Zhang, Kunming Pan, Zicheng Ling, Pei Wang, Jianjun Shi, Yan Peng, Xiaoming Chen, Lei Zhang, Yulei Zhang, Shuo Yin. Methods and insights in optimizing nickel-based coatings for wear and corrosion resistance. Materials Today Communications, 2025, vol. 43, article number 111793. doi: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.111793.
  12. Makarov A.V., Soboleva N.N., Malygina I.Yu. Role of the strengthening phases in abrasive wear resistance of laser-clad NiCrBSi coatings. Journal of Friction and Wear, 2017, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 272–278. doi: 10.3103/S1068366617040080.
  13. Bergant Z., Trdan U., Grum J. Effect of high-temperature furnace treatment on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of NiCrBSi flame-sprayed coatings. Corrosion Science, 2014, vol. 88, pp. 372–386. doi: 10.1016/j.corsci.2014.07.057.
  14. Stewart S., Ahmed R., Itsukaichi T. Contact fatigue failure evaluation of post-treated WC–NiCrBSi functionally graded thermal spray coatings. Wear, 2004, vol. 257, no. 9-10, pp. 962–983. doi: 10.1016/j.wear.2004.05.008.
  15. Algoburi A., Ahmed R., Kumar V. Influence of HIPing Post-Treatment on the Cavitation Erosion in HVOF Thermally Sprayed WC–NiCrBSi Coatings. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2025, vol. 34, pp. 992–1015. doi: 10.1007/s11666-025-01926-4.
  16. Szajna E., Tupaj M., Moskal G., Dudek A., Tomaszewska A., Trzcionka-Szajna A., Szymański K., Trytek A., Galek T. A study of laser-remelted flame-sprayed NiCrBSi/W composite coatings: the influence of thermal diffusivity. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 2024, vol. 149, pp. 7947–7964. doi: 10.1007/s10973-024-13321-2.
  17. Songgiang Huang, Jingzhong Zhou, Kuoteng Sun, Hailiang Yang, Weichen Cai, Yi Liu, Ping Zhou, Shuangjie Wu, Hua Li. Microstructural Charactistics of Plasma Sprayed NiCrBSi Coatings and Their Wear and Corrosion Behaviors. Coatings, 2021, vol. 11, no. 2, article number 170. doi: 10.3390/coatings11020170.
  18. Liming Liu, Haifeng Xu, Jinkun Xiao, Xinlong Wei, Ga Zhang, Chao Zhang. Effect of heat treatment on structure and property evolutions of atmospheric plasma sprayed NiCrBSi coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2017, vol. 325, pp. 548–554. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2017.07.011.
  19. Liang-Yu Chen, Tianxiang Xu, Sheng Lu, Ze-Xin Wang, Shujin Chen, Lai-Chang Zhang. Improved hardness and wear resistance of plasma sprayed nanostructured NiCrBSi coating via short-time heat treatment. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2018, vol. 350, pp. 436–444. doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2018.07.037.
  20. Makarov A.V., Soboleva N.N., Malygina I.Y., Osintseva A.L. Formation of wear-resistant chromium-nickel coating with extra high thermal stability by combined laser-and-heat treatment. Metal Science and Heat Treatment, 2015, vol. 57, no. 3-4, pp. 161–168. doi: 10.1007/s11041-015-9856-8.
  21. Makarov A.V., Korobov Y.S., Soboleva N.N., Khudorozhkova Y.V., Vopneruk A.A., Balu P., Barbosa M., Malygina I.Y., Burov S.V., Stepchenkov A.K. Wear-resistant nickel-based laser clad coatings for high-temperature applications. Letters on Materials, 2019, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 470–474. doi: 10.22226/2410-3535-2019-4-470-474.
  22. Soboleva N.N., Makarov A.V., Stepchenkov A.K., Malygina I.Yu., Korobov Yu.S. Influence of thermal effects on the micromechanical properties of the nickel-chromium coating obtained by gas powder laser cladding. Obrabotka metallov. Metal working and material science, 2020, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 104–117. doi: 10.17212/1994-6309-2020-22.2-104-117.
  23. Oliver W.C., Pharr G.M. An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments. Journal of Materials Research, 1992, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 1564–1583. doi: 10.1557/JMR.1992.1564.

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
Download

Copyright (c) 2026 Stepchenkov A.K., Makarov A.V., Soboleva N.N., Vopneruk A.A., Kotelnikov A.B.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.