Thesis

Surface engineering : advanced materials for aggressive environments

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2025
Thesis identifier
  • T17406
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202156065
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Abstract
  • Enhancing the wear resistance of engineering components that operate under severe friction and abrasion is vital for extending service life and extending repair and maintenance intervals. This research presents a novel approach using 316L stainless steel tubular (316LSS-T) fillers filled with ceramic reinforcements; silicon carbide (SiC), and tungsten carbide with 10% cobalt (WC-10%Co) for the deposition of metal matrix composite (MMC) via tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. The performance of these MMC coatings is benchmarked against conventional HF600 hard-facing electrodes on both low carbon steel (LCS-BM) and 316L stainless-steel (316LSS-BM) base metals. Unlike the widely used preplaced powder method, which suffers from limited bonding strength, inconsistent reinforcement distribution and susceptibility to particle burn-off or dilution during welding, the tubular filler technique developed in this study offers precise control over reinforcement retention and distribution. This research advances the field by overcoming these drawbacks, offering a more robust, reliable, and scalable alternative to conventional MMC deposition methods explored in previous studies. A deposition process was developed by refining tubular filler geometry (4 mm outer diameter, 3 mm inner diameter) and systematically adjusting the TIG welding parameters to ensure uniform reinforcement distribution, strong metallurgical bonding, and minimal ceramic dissolution. This tailored process enabled consistent microstructures suitable for evaluating wear behaviour. Dry sliding pin-on-disc wear tests assessed the tribological performance of the deposited MMC under varying loads (2–6 kg). Microstructural and surface analyses, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), revealed distinct wear mechanisms, material transfer patterns and protective tribo-layer formations. Results show that WC-10%Co-reinforced MMC’s achieved the highest wear resistance, especially on 316SS-BM, while SiC-reinforced deposition outperformed others on LCS-BM. Both significantly reduced material loss and outperformed HF600 coatings. The formation of oxide-rich tribo-layers on LCS-BM under high load conditions was key in suppressing abrasive wear and metal-to-metal contact. This work establishes the effectiveness and versatility of ceramic-filled tubular fillers in producing durable, wear-resistant deposition. The findings underline the industrial potential of this method for applications in aerospace, automotive, and heavy-duty manufacturing applications, offering a superior and innovative alternative to hard-facing electrodes and preplaced powder-based MMC techniques.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Galloway, Alexander
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