Characterization of Boron Carbide Thermal Sprayed Coatings for High Wear Resistance Performance

Boron Carbide (B₄C) belongs to the most important group of non-metallic materials. It is the hardest non-oxide ceramic produced in tonnage quantities. Besides it presents wide range versatile applications due to its excellent properties, such as high chemical and outstanding heat resistance. B₄C can be formed on a suitable substrate by thermal spray process as an alternative to high wear carbide coatings. Therefore, the effort of this work is to investigate the use of boron carbide in the corrosion and abrasive wear protection of surfaces working in aggressive environments. The results are evaluated by metallographic procedure, microhardness and roughness measurements, adhesion and wear tests to determine the properties and characteristics of the sprayed coating on carbon steel substrate. It is possible to observe a large number of potential applications for boron carbide coatings in mechanical, equipment and apparatus engineering, justifying this investigation.