High-Performance Corrosion and Erosion Resistant Amorphous Fe-based Alloy Coating for Power Generation

Structural alloys used in power generation often suffer from degradation due to harsh operating environments. As a result, high-performance materials are required to resist corrosion and erosion processes. Increasing efficiency is necessary to achieve high thermal-to-electrical conversion efficiency and cost competitiveness with conventional electrical power generation methods, requiring operation at high temperatures. Armacor X80®, an amorphous iron-based thermal spray coating alloy, has been tested in aggressive environments and appears to be a promising alternative to Ni-based alloys. Power generation environments present several technical and engineering challenges, mainly due to their highly corrosive and erosion characteristics compared to typical materials. Amorphous metals (AM) are a novel material class with a disordered, non-crystalline, glassy structure. Due to their unique microstructure, AM combines ultrahigh strength, high hardness, and ductility in one single material. AM has better corrosion resistance due to a lack of long-range periodicity, grain boundaries, and crystal defects.

This presentation will focus on amorphous thermal sprayed coatings, Ni- and Fe-based alloys, and conventional power generation materials such as steel, stainless steel, and nickel alloys. This study aimed to compare the corrosion and erosion resistance of the AM samples with that of the uncoated traditional materials. The results showed that the AM coating improved the lifespan of the substrate material by providing better protection against corrosion and erosion. This research was funded by SBIR awards from the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).