| Abstract: |
Studies already established that the tribological properties of Babbitt coatings significantly depend on the microstructural characteristics such as the amount and distribution of intermetallic compounds dispersed in a soft solution matrix. For Sn-based Babbitt coatings, the formation of SnSb- and CuSn-based precipitates directly affect the wear and friction behavior under dry sliding conditions. Recent studies on Sn-based Babbitt coatings verified that depending on the thermal history of the processed materials, the precipitates formed in thermally sprayed coatings are more refined than those observed in common forming processes such as casting.
This study deals with the investigation of the effect of the preheating gas temperature, as well as substrate preheating temperature on the microstructural characteristics of Sn-Sb-Cu-based Babbitt coatings deposited by low pressure cold spraying (LPCS). Different preheating gas temperatures as well as substrate preheating temperatures at a number of variations were analyzed along their interaction with the resulting microstructural characteristics. Thus, the deposits were examined concerning their phase composition as well as amount and distribution of intermetallic compounds. For lower preheating gas temperatures and without substrate preheating, the deposits comprised a slight amount of SnSb, whereas at elevated gas temperatures and constant substrate preheating during spraying, the deposits consisted of an increased amount of SnSb dispersed in a soft Sn matrix.
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