Tungsten Carbide Surface Coatings: HVOF Vs Laser Cladding 1

Tungsten Carbide Coating: Why?

● High hardness (1000 - 1500 HV) [1]
● Extremely high wear resistance
● Extremely high compressive strength (6100 MPa)

Tungsten Carbide Coating: Where?

● High wear parts
Fig 1 - An example of HVOF application to coat a
● Tooling
● Industrial machinery

Tungsten Carbide Coating: How?

● Thermal Spray
○ High Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF)
○ High Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF)
● Laser Cladding

Fig 2 - Laser Cladding application

[1] Tucker Jr., Robert C.. (2013). ASM Handbook, Volume 05A - Thermal Spray Technology - 3.4.3.4 Coating Characteristics. (pp. 38,39,40). ASM International. Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/id:kt00C1Z1J3/asm-handbook-volume-5a/high-veloc-coating-characteristics
[2] Toyserkani, Ehsan, et al. Laser Cladding, Taylor & Francis Group, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/detail.action?docID=263781.
[3] Amado, J.M., Tobar, M.J., Alvarez, J.C., Lamas, J., and Yáñez, A., 2009. Laser cladding of tungsten carbides (Spherotene®) hardfacing alloys for the mining and mineral industry. Applied Surface Science, 255 (10), 5553–5556 Jayden Shaw - 715397X
[4] Xu, G., Kutsuna, M., Liu, Z., and Sun, L., 2006. Characteristic behaviours of clad layer by a multi-layer laser cladding with powder mixture of Stellite-6 and tungsten carbide. Surface and Coatings Technology, 201 (6), 3385–3392..
 HVOF/HVAF vs Laser Cladding 2
HVOF Laser Cladding

● Continuous feed from powder, no stop start ● Extremely concentrated heat source which results
application in instant solidification and a fine metallurgic
● Gas velocity range from 1525 m/s to 1715 structure to the substrate [3]
(exceeding mach 5) [2] ● Multiple options for consumable material
● Bond strength approximately 83 MPa to substrate ○ Wire, powder or paste
○ Not a metallurgic bond, mechanical bond ● 50 um to 2mm coating thickness
● High heat affected zone (HAV) ● Low heat affected zone (HAV)
● Feed rate 15-50 g/min
○ Powder
● Generally low porosity (1%)

Fig 3 - General process for HVOF Fig 4 - General process for WC cladding using laser cladding
[1] Tucker Jr., Robert C.. (2013). ASM Handbook, Volume 05A - Thermal Spray Technology - 3.4.3.4 Coating Characteristics. (pp. 38,39,40). ASM International. Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/id:kt00C1Z1J3/asm-handbook-volume-5a/high-veloc-coating-characteristics
[2] Toyserkani, Ehsan, et al. Laser Cladding, Taylor & Francis Group, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/detail.action?docID=263781.
[3] Amado, J.M., Tobar, M.J., Alvarez, J.C., Lamas, J., and Yáñez, A., 2009. Laser cladding of tungsten carbides (Spherotene®) hardfacing alloys for the mining and mineral industry. Applied Surface Science, 255 (10), 5553–5556 Jayden Shaw - 715397X
[4] Xu, G., Kutsuna, M., Liu, Z., and Sun, L., 2006. Characteristic behaviours of clad layer by a multi-layer laser cladding with powder mixture of Stellite-6 and tungsten carbide. Surface and Coatings Technology, 201 (6), 3385–3392..
 Final Comments on Tungsten Carbide Cladding - HVOF vs Laser Cladding 3

● Both applications are relatively low heat providing minimal thermal distortion
● Laser cladding preferred for more precise claddings
● HVOF preferred for rapid coatings
● HVOF known for stacking faults (as shown in fig 5) and dislocations
○ Can cause cracking, porosity defects as well as potential release from substrate in high
speed or high wear applications
● Laser cladding has metalurgic bond to substrate due to rapid cooling and creating fine matrix
structures [4]

Fig 5 - Schematic showing the layering caused

Fig 6 - Cross section of WC showing fine bond to
by HVOF
substrate
[1] Tucker Jr., Robert C.. (2013). ASM Handbook, Volume 05A - Thermal Spray Technology - 3.4.3.4 Coating Characteristics. (pp. 38,39,40). ASM International. Retrieved from https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/pdf/id:kt00C1Z1J3/asm-handbook-volume-5a/high-veloc-coating-characteristics
[2] Toyserkani, Ehsan, et al. Laser Cladding, Taylor & Francis Group, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/detail.action?docID=263781.
[3] Amado, J.M., Tobar, M.J., Alvarez, J.C., Lamas, J., and Yáñez, A., 2009. Laser cladding of tungsten carbides (Spherotene®) hardfacing alloys for the mining and mineral industry. Applied Surface Science, 255 (10), 5553–5556 Jayden Shaw - 715397X
[4] Xu, G., Kutsuna, M., Liu, Z., and Sun, L., 2006. Characteristic behaviours of clad layer by a multi-layer laser cladding with powder mixture of Stellite-6 and tungsten carbide. Surface and Coatings Technology, 201 (6), 3385–3392..