Influence of Spraying Process Parameters on the Characteristics of Steel Coatings Produced by Arc Spraying Method

Arc spraying is one of the most effective and cost-efficient thermal spraying technologies for creating high-quality protective coatings. This paper examines the influence of arc spraying process parameters on the properties of steel coatings. The parameters varied in this study included gas pressure, wire feed rate, and the distance from the spray gun to the substrate (standoff distance). Experimental evaluations focused on surface roughness, thickness, porosity, structure, and hardness of the coatings. The techniques used for these evaluations included profilometry for roughness measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for structural analysis, Vickers hardness testing, and optical microscopy. The results demonstrate a significant influence of arc spraying parameters on the characteristics of the resulting coatings. The analysis revealed that the coatings produced under different modes exhibit a layered structure and vary in thickness. A detailed examination of the coating structure identified defects such as unmelted particles, voids, and delamination in the interface zone. The study of coating thickness and porosity showed that increasing the wire feed rate and decreasing the standoff distance leads to the formation of thicker and denser coatings. Specifically, increasing the wire feed rate from 2 to 12 cm/s resulted in a decrease in porosity from 12.59% to 4.33% and an increase in coating thickness to 699 μm. The surface analysis highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to selecting the optimal roughness. While increasing the wire feed rate up to 12 cm/s can increase the Ra roughness parameter, gas pressure also significantly influences this parameter, reducing roughness from Ra = 18.63 μm at 6 MPa to Ra = 15.95 μm at 8 MPa. Additionally, it was found that varying the arc spraying parameters affects the hardness of the coatings, with all modes resulting in hardness values higher than that of the substrate. Therefore, optimizing these parameters enables the achievement of the best combination of mechanical and structural properties in the coatings. These findings can be valuable for further improvement of arc spraying technologies and the expansion of their application across various industries.