PROJECT PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0104

Project registration code: PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0104

Contract number: 11/30.08.2013

Project summary: Titanium is one of the most promising metals in field of high specific strength engineering. It is now finding increasing commercial exploitation because of its unique combination of high melting point, low density, good corrosion resistance at ambient temperature and high strength to weight ratio compared to that of steel (2 times) or superalloys (1.5 times). Although titanium offers attractive mechanical, chemical and physical properties, its surface properties are deficient, possessing poor fretting fatigue resistance and poor wear resistance properties. Therefore, the surface characteristics of titanium need to be improved. Thermal spray coatings is one of the most common ways to improve the surface characteristics of the materials being used in a wide range of industries to improve the abrasive, erosive, and sliding wear of machine components.

The proposed theme focuses on the improving of the titanium wear resistance by electron beam (EB) remelting of the pre-deposited oxidic powder Al₂O₃-TiO₂ using the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) methods. The EB treatment may lead to the elimination of porosity, enhancement of the coating strength and chemical homogeneity, and the development of metallurgical bonding at the coating-substrate interface producing strengthened coatings adhesion. It is expected that surface remelting of pre-deposited HVOF and APS coatings is a promising process for improving the exploitation performance of the titanium.

• State of the art and perspectives evaluation in surface coatings technique used as a method in order to improve the wear behavior of the titanium;
• Development of HVOF and APS sprayed Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings on the surface of titanium and their remelting using the electron beam (EB) method;
• Analysis and characterization of the obtained HVOF sprayed Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings before and after the electron beam remelting treatment;
• Study of the wear and corrosion behavior of the coatings before and after the electron beam remelting.

Project start date: 02.09.2013
Project completion date: 12.12.2016

Total funding: 1 125 000 lei (100 000 lei in 2013; 313 228 lei in 2014, 215 801 lei in 2015 and 495 971 lei in 2016)

Project manager: Assoc.Prof.dr.ing. Ion-Dragos UTU

Viorel-Aurel SERBAN – senior researcher
Cosmin CODREAN – senior researcher
Carmen OPRIS – senior researcher
Iosif HULKA – postdoc researcher

1. I. Hulka, V.A Serban, D Utu, N. Duteanu, V. Matikainen, K. Niemi, P. Vuoristo, Wear and corrosion behavior of HVAF sprayed WC-10Ni and WC-20Cr3C2-6Ni coatings, 28th International Conference on Surface Modification Technologies, June 16^th – 18^th, 2014, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, 2014.
2. I. Mitelea, I.D. Utu, Selectia, utilizarea si reciclarea materialelor ingineresti, Editura Politehnica, Timisoara, ISBN 978-606-554-866-4, 2014.
3. I.D. Utu, I. Mitelea, SNMS investigations of thermally sprayed coatings, Materials Testing, Vol. 57, Issue 3, p. 267-272, 2015.
4. I.D. Utu, G. Marginean, I. Hulka, V.A. Serban, D. Cristea, Properties of the thermally sprayed Al₂O₃–TiO₂ coatings deposited on titanium substrate, International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials, Volume 51, p. 118–123, 2015.
5. V.A. Serban, I.D. Utu, G. Marginean, Substrate influence on the properties of thermally sprayed WC–CrC–Ni cermet coatings, Journal of optoelectronics and advanced materials, Vol. 17, No. 9-10, p. 1425 – 1430, 2015.
6. I. Mitelea, I.D.Utu, S. Cutean, C.M. Craciunescu, TIG deposition of Ti on steel substrates using Cu as interlayer, Materials Testing, vol. 58, p. 725-730, 2016
7. I.D. Utu, G. Marginean, I. Hulka, V.A. Serban, Sliding Wear Behavior of Remelted Al₂O₃-TiO₂ Plasma Sprayed Coatings on Titanium, Solid State Phenomena, Vol. 254, pp 231-236, 2016;
8. I.D. Utu, I. Mitelea, S.D. Urlan, C.M. Craciunescu, Transformation and Precipitation Reactions by Metal Active Gas Pulsed Welded Joints from X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 Duplex Stainless Steels, Materials, Vol. 9 (606), p. 1-15, 2016;
9. I. Mitelea, I. Bordeasu, I.D. Utu, O. Karancsi, Improvement of the Cavitation Erosion Resistance of Titanium Alloys Deposited by Plasma Spraying and Remelted by Laser, Materiale Plastice, Vol. 53 (1), p. 29-33, 2016;
10. I.D. Utu, G. Marginean, Effect of electron beam remelting on the characteristics of HVOFsprayed Al2O3-TiO2coatings deposited on titanium substrate, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects,
11. C. Codrean, I.D. Utu, D. Buzdugan, V.A Serban, Materiale metalice avansate - Aplicații practice, Editura Politehnica, ISBN 978-606-554-843-5, Timisoara, 2016.

• Scientific report 2013
• Scientific report 2014
• Scientific report 2015
• Scientific report 2016 (Final report)