Research on the Formation Behaviour and Tribological Service Mechanism of Ni-Based Composite Coatings Prepared by Thermal Spraying Assisted with Alternating Current Magnetic Field

In this paper, an alternating current (AC) magnetic field-assisted device was employed to enhance the preparation process of supersonic plasma spraying coatings. The phase structure and mechanical service characteristics of the five types of coatings were tested. The research found that the porosity of the coating decreased from 3.93% to 1.58%, the hardness increased from 702.88 to 921.12 HV, the bonding strength increased from 26 MPa to 38.3 MPa, and the tribological coefficient decreased from 0.6859 to 0.4670. The mechanism is that the AC magnetic field enhances the internal structure of the coating through electromagnetic stirring, electromagnetic oscillation and other effects. It also stirs the solidification process of the powder particles, improves the melting behaviour of the coating particles at the interface, and enhances the bonding quality of the coating. The improvement of the microstructure and mechanical properties further improves the tribological properties of the coating. At the same time, it is found that the higher the intensity of the AC magnetic field is not necessarily better for the improvement of the coating performance. When the AC magnetic field voltage reaches the peak of the device, the coating formation process is disturbed by the AC magnetic field, and the coating quality formed under the same spraying process is poor. Appropriate control of the AC magnetic field can effectively improve the internal structure and service quality of the coating. This provides a new technical idea and theoretical research basis for the development of advanced equipment surface engineering protection.