Deposition and corrosion resistance of HVOF sprayed nanocrystalline iron aluminide coatings

The microstructure and corrosion properties of nanocrystalline Fe–40Al coatings obtained by thermal spraying of milled powder were investigated. The coatings were sprayed under similar high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) conditions and were varied by the size of the starting feedstock powder. The coatings have complex microstructure consisting essentially of a mixture of well-flattened splats and non-fully melted powder particles within which an equiaxed nanometer-scale structure is retained. Amorphous Al2O3 and nanocrystalline Fe-rich oxides together with Fe3Al (resulting from Al depletion and reaction in the flame) were present at intersplat boundaries. The amount of these phases and porosity, as well as the presence of unmelted powder particles, has been quantified. It is shown that the feedstock powder size has a strong effect on the coating hardness by modifying the amount of hard unmelted powder particles. The electrochemical response of the coatings shows the same general type of active–passive–transpassive behaviour than the microcrystalline bulk Fe–40Al but with poorer corrosion resistance parameters. Analysis of corrosion damage shows a prevalent localized attack at intersplat boundaries or around unmelted powder particles, probably enhanced by galvanic phenomena, that is likely responsible for the poorer corrosion properties of the coatings. To a lesser extent, corrosion takes place by a more global form of attack within splats containing ultrafine grains. If the amount of unmelted powder particles controls the overall hardness of the coatings, it appears to have limited direct effect—if any—on the corrosion behaviour. Thus, the hardness/corrosion balance can be optimized by a good selection of powder size feedstock.