Fabrication and tribological properties of WC-reinforced Inconel X-750 alloy at elevated temperature

Abstract

The nickel-based superalloy Inconel X-750, valued for its exceptional mechanical properties, is used in gas-lubricated foil bearings. However, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to wear failure, affecting their service life. Here, we propose a novel method named ultrasonic strengthening grinding (USG) that applies a WC coating on Inconel X-750. Friction tests reveal that at 600 °C, the friction coefficient and wear rate of the USG-treated samples were reduced by 30.2 % and 79.7 %, respectively. Detailed experiments and analysis demonstrate that the surface grain refinement and the WC-rich coating cooperate to improve the high-temperature tribological properties. These findings offer new insights into the design of wear-resistant coatings for enhancing the high-temperature tribological performance of Inconel X-750 Alloy.