Effect of cold deformation on the abrasive resistance of coatings with applications in the mining industry

Machinery components of the mining industry are often involved in severe wear processes. This is the case of the support wheels of the crawler track of the excavators in the open cast mine. Surface coating technologies are essential to improve the surface performance of such components. In this work, the effect of cold deformation on the wear resistance of several Fe–Cr–Mn alloys welding coated over a steel substrate is studied. After being coated, the specimens were pressed by means of a block hammer which produced surface distortion and thickness variation. This deformation process generates micro structural changes and material which may improve the abrasive wear resistance. Abrasion wear tests were carried out based on the standard test method for conducting wet sand/rubber wheel abrasion tests (ASTM G105-89).