Structure and Tribological Properties of Chromium Coatings Formed by Electrodeformation Cladding with Flexible Tools

The paper contains results of investigations on structure and tribotechnical properties of chromium coatings formed by a method of electrodeformation cladding with flexible tools (EDCFT). The purpose of these investigations is to assess prospects for application of the coatings as an alternative to galvanic chrome plating which is widely used in manufacturing hydraulic cylinder rods of metal-cutting machines. Rotary metal brushes with a wire pile made of 65Г-steel and 03Х17Н14М2-stainless steel have been used as a flexible tool. A compacted bar obtained by sintering a mixture of pure chromium powders and a nano-sized diamond-graphite blend UDDG has been employed as a donor material for EDCFT. According to results of the research it has been established that alloying elements of wire pile such as chromium and nickel are added to a coating composition while forming coatings a stainless steel brush. So in the case of using brushes with wire pile of 03X17H14M2-stainless steel the amount of chromium and nickel in a clad coating layer is 5.3 and 9.6 times higher in percentage, respectively, in comparison with the coating formed by a 65Г-steel brush that can contribute to improvement of coating corrosion resistance. At the same time, surface relief of the coating has a developed rough structure consisting of chromium microparticles having various size that are tightly packed and elongated in the direction of brush rotation and there are no flaws in the form of discontinuities and delaminations. Tribological tests have been performed under conditions of “boundary lubrication” on a rotary friction machine that implements friction of a rubber indenter on a flat surface of a rotating disk. According to data of the tribotechnical tests it has been ascertained that under conditions of “boundary friction” for such paired samples as “coated disc – rubber roller” chromium coatings formed by the EDCFT method, have the lowest values of a sliding friction coefficient (fтр = 0.023) which are 7.5 times lower than chromium coatings obtained by electroplating. At the same time the wear of rubber rollers in pairs with electroplated chromium coatings has turned out to be less than in pairs with the coating formed by the EDCFT method.