Effect of Nano B4C and WC Coatings on 304L Stainless Steel Wear Resistance

Abstract 304L steel is known for its good corrosion resistance but low hardness and subsequently low wear resistance. This study aims to improve the hardness and wear behavior of 304L SS by depositing nanostructured coatings (i.e nano B4C and nano WC) on the surface using the tungsten inert gas (TIG) cladding process. The phases generated, morphology, wear mechanism and surface roughness of these coatings were studied through XRD, FESEM and AFM analysis respectively. Vickers micro-hardness and pin on disc wear of the deposited coatings were measured. Results showed a promising enhancements in hardness of samples coated with Nano B4C and WC particles by 1.8 and 3 times the as received samples respectively and 85% and 57% enhancement in wear resistance by the B4C and WC deposited coating respectively.