Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of FeCrNiBSi Amorphous Coatings Prepared by Plasma Spraying with Crystalline Powder

WAN Peng; ZHAO Zipei; LUO Xiaotao; CAO Dahua; LI Changjiu

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.19.020

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (19) : 247-255. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.19.020

Thermal Spraying and Cold Spraying Technology

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of FeCrNiBSi Amorphous Coatings Prepared by Plasma Spraying with Crystalline Powder

WAN Peng^1,2, ZHAO Zipei³, LUO Xiaotao^3,*, CAO Dahua^1,2, LI Changjiu³

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Abstract

To address the corrosion susceptibility of Q235 low-carbon steel in marine environments, the work aims to produce Fe-based amorphous coatings with high density, high hardness, and superior corrosion resistance by optimizing plasma spraying process with low-cost crystalline powders. The mechanisms of boron (B) as a sacrificial deoxidizer and the effect of spraying parameters on coating structure and properties are elucidated.
Coatings were fabricated on Q235 steel substrates with FeCrNiBSi crystalline powder at three spraying distances (80 mm, 100 mm, and 120 mm). The microstructure, phase composition, and B content of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior in 3.5wt.% NaCl solution were evaluated via micro-Vickers hardness tests and electrochemical workstation analysis, respectively.
The original FeCrNiBSi powder was spherical or ellipsoidal, with a particle size ranging from 30 μm to 50 μm. XRD patterns revealed that the powder mainly consisted of Fe-based austenite phase, accompanied by a small amount of metallic boride phases. XRD patterns of the Fe-based amorphous coatings prepared by plasma spraying at different spraying distances showed that the coatings were dominated by an amorphous structure with a small amount of crystalline phases. As the spraying distance increased from 80 mm to 120 mm, the amorphous content in the coating increased from 53.7% to 61.4%. The inter-splat bonding in the coatings was sound, with only a small amount of banded and particulate oxides. The content of dark-contrast oxides remained unchanged with spraying distance, further verifying that no obvious oxidation occurred in the coatings. Boron, acting as a sacrificial deoxidizer, was continuously consumed (its content decreased from 2.16wt.% to 1.47wt.%), which effectively suppressed metallic oxidation and resulted in all coatings having a porosity below 0.5%. The relatively small powder size (30-50 μm) used in this work also contributed to the high amorphous fraction and remarkably low oxide content and porosity. On the one hand, droplets with smaller particle size had lower heat capacity and higher cooling rate during impact, spreading, and solidification, which favored the suppression of heterogeneous nucleation and growth of crystals, thus promoting the formation of amorphous phase. On the other hand, a smaller particle size allowed the mass transfer of B from the interior to the oxygen-exposed surface of the droplet to change from diffusion to convection, providing sufficient B at the droplet surface to ensure an effective oxidation-resistant effect. The maximum coating hardness reached 752.1HV. However, hardness exhibited a decreasing trend with the increasing spraying distance, attributable to a significant reduction in the content of high-hardness boride phases. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was closely related to porosity. The coating prepared at 100 mm spraying distance exhibited the lowest porosity (0.36%) and the optimal overall corrosion resistance: its corrosion potential was -0.52 V (approximately 30% higher than that of the Q235 substrate), and its self-corrosion current density was 2.51×10^-7 A/cm² (one order of magnitude lower than that of the substrate).
By employing B-containing crystalline powders and optimizing the spraying distance, this work has successfully prepared Fe-based amorphous coatings on Q235 steel with high hardness, high density, and significantly enhances corrosion resistance. This achievement leverages the sacrificial deoxidation effect of B and the high cooling rate of plasma spraying, providing theoretical and experimental support for the engineering application of low-cost, high-performance anti-corrosion coatings in marine environments.

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Fe-based amorphous coatings / plasma spraying / microstructure / hardness / corrosion resistance

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WAN Peng, ZHAO Zipei, LUO Xiaotao, CAO Dahua, LI Changjiu. Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of FeCrNiBSi Amorphous Coatings Prepared by Plasma Spraying with Crystalline Powder[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(19): 247-255

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