Ni- and Fe-based Self-Fluxing Alloys for Coatings
JSC POLEMA, Russia's largest manufacturer of metal powders, offers a diverse range of powder alloys and pure metals produced by various methods, including high-pressure gas and water atomizing, oxide reduction, and mechanical grinding.
Recently, the company has been actively implementing new technical solutions for gas atomizing, which significantly improve the morphology of particles, reduce the number of satellites, and increase the fluidity of powders and the quality of weld coatings.
Atomized powders produced by JSC POLEMA are classified into two groups: powders for coatings and structural powders.
The first group includes over 200 types of powders for coatings using various methods, including self-fluxing nickel, iron, and copper alloys, tool steels, high-carbon and low-carbon steels and alloys, corrosion-resistant and heat-resistant steels and alloys, as well as tin- and zinc-based composite powders and alloys.
The variety of available powders for coatings, used in high-speed, detonation, gas-flame, and plasma spraying, gas-powder, plasma, induction, and laser welding, allows to solve specific problems of surface hardening and effective protection against wear and corrosion of machines and equipment parts operating under elevated temperatures, high mechanical stress, and with abrasive substances and in aggressive environments.
The second group includes structural powders, such as pressed powders of pure metals (chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, and titanium), copper-based alloys (bronze and brass), stainless steels, special alloys with high magnetic permeability (permalloys), and materials for shot jet processing of parts (tool steels).
Powders of this group are used for making sheet rolled products, bars, and non-ferrous and refractory metal forgings, tools, sintered and deformed parts, composite materials used in electrical engineering, electronics, tool engineering, machine engineering, aerospace industry, nuclear power engineering, vehicles, filters, gas absorbers, and other engineering areas.
Materials are used for coatings resistant to corrosion, and to wear by friction and abrasive particles.
Coatings are resistant to gas corrosion up to temperatures of 700-850°C, resistant in fresh and sea water, salt solutions, oil-containing environments, ammonia and in other aggressive environments. Not resistant or weakly resistant in solutions of mineral acids. The alloys flow in the temperature range typical for materials with an eutectic in their structure.
The main structural phase of the alloy coatings is a γ-solid supersaturated nickel-based solution; the strengthening phases include chromium and nickel borides of variable composition, chromium carbides such as Cr23C6, and chromium carboborides; powders with higher carbon content also contain particles of the more durable Cr7C3 carbide.
The hardness and wear resistance of coatings increase as the content of chromium, boron, silicon, and carbon increases in nickel alloys. Boron and silicon form low-melting eutectics with nickel, with a flowing temperature of 950-1080°C, and also reduce oxide films on the substrate surface to form borosilicate slags (self-fluxing activity) if there's a liquid phase, improving the substrate's wettability with liquid metal.
The general characteristics of Ni-Cr-B-Si-C alloys also include the ability to retain hardness and resistance to abrasive wear after tempering at temperatures up to 600°C. The hardness of these alloys at elevated temperatures ("hot" hardness), for example, at 650°C, can be 50-70% of the hardness measured at room temperature.
Fe-Base Self-Fluxing Alloys
This alloy is represented by high-carbon AP-FeCr4MnSiV, alloyed with vanadium, chromium and manganese, iron-nickel-chromium PG-Fe14 alloy and medium-carbon FMI alloys of eutectic composition.
The coating of high-carbon alloy is characterized with increased hardness and high resistance to abrasive wear in water environment, of eutectic alloys (FMI) - with resistance to wear by friction at high sliding speeds.
Self-Fluxing Cu-Sn-Ni-B-Si Bronzes
This alloy is represented by a material for wear-resistant coatings on copper, copper alloy and steel products.
Self-fluxing alloys are gas atomized. The atomized polydisperse powders are sieved into narrow particle size cuts for various coating and surfacing methods, such as detonation and high-speed spraying, gas-powder surfacing, gas-flame and plasma spraying, laser and electric-spark surfacing, plasma and induction surfacing.
Particle Sizes (main cuts)
| Coating method | Particle size, micron |
| Detonation and high-speed spraying | <40, <63 (20-63) |
| Gas-flame and plasma spraying, gas-powder, laser and electric-spark surfacing |
20-63, <100, 40-100, 45-90, 45-125, <125 |
| Plasma surfacing | 63-125, 80-160, 94-280, 140-280 |
| Induction surfacing | 94-280, 40-630, 100-630, <630, <800 |
Powders can be made with a different PSD, as agreed by the parties.
The minimum size of meshes used for powder classification is 40 μm (~400 mesh) and 45 μm (325 mesh). Powders are not classified with meshes below 40 μm, as gas-atomized powders typically have a small number of fine particles below 15-22 μm.
Shape and Structure of Particles
Gas-atomized powders are mainly characterized with spherical particle shapes and a cast material structure.
Flowing Temperature of Coatings
In dilatometric analysis of self-fluxing alloys heat content curves indicate the following characteristic points: the temperature at which the liquid phase appears, Т0, and the temperature at which the maximum change in heat content is observed, Тf, (the peak of flowing on a DTA curve). This range of flowing in self-fluxing alloys, the parameter ΔТ = Т0 – Тm, plays an important role in selecting the optimal flowing temperature for a coating. The flowing temperature shall be as close as possible to Тf, at which the coating becomes denser (porosity disappears), and a transitional diffusive layer of the required thickness is formed, and maximum coating strength with substrate is reached. In fact, Ni-Cr-B-Si-C alloys that contain nickel borides and silicides, as well as chromium borides and carboborides, flow in a wider range of temperatures than ΔТ, with gradual absorption of refractory compounds into the melt while heating (dissolution in nickel).
Characteristics and Applications
| Alloy name | Тf °С | Coating properties | Applications |
|
Nickel-based alloys |
|||
|
AP-NiCu42Si1B1 |
1065 |
Resistance to corrosion, shock, friction abrasion; excellent workability. Low friction coefficeint, f = 0.052-0.07 paired with a counterbody of steel 20 | Restoration of dimensions, welding of parts, filling of cracks and other flaws on cast-iron parts and frames. Used in glass industry and other fields when renovating frames and parts of vehicles |
|
AP-NiSi2B1 |
1070 |
Heat-resistance, resistance to corrosion, shock and abrasion, good workability | Restoration of dimensions and surface reinforcement of cast iron dies in glass industry |
|
AP-NiSi2B2 |
1060 |
Heat resistance, resistance to corrosion, shock and abrasion. Greater hardness than that of NiSi2B1 and good workability | Restoration of dimensions and surface reinforcement of cast iron dies in glass industry |
| AP-NiCr13Si2B1 | 1050 | Resistance to shock, high resistance to abrasive and erosion wear, and to oxidation in air up to 850 оС, to corrosion in saltwater and in aggressive environments, but for acid ones. Greater hardness than that of NiSi2B2. f=0,43 for friction with Cr12Mo steel in open air. Satisfactory workability. | Wear-resistant, extreme-pressure resistant coatings on steel and cast iron. Dies in glass industry, equipment at metallurgy plants as well as in oil & gas industry, and vehicle parts. |
| AP-NiCr4Si3B1 | 1060 | Resistance to abrasion. Greater hardness but less shock resistance than those of NiSi2B1. Satisfactory workability | Restoration of dimensions and surface reinforcement of cast iron dies in glass industry. Die sets in glass industry |
| AP-NiCr9Si3B2 | 1040 | Resistance to shock loads, wear by friction and abrasion, oxidation in air up to 800 оС, corrosion in aqueous or alkaline environments and other aggressive industrial environments, but for acidic ones. Satisfactory workability | Wear-resistant, extreme-pressure resistant coatings on steel and cast iron: die sets in glass industry, equipment in metallurgy and oil & gas industries, parts in pumps, compressors and vehicles. Used as a component of cords with polymer filling. |
| AP-NiCr15Si3B2 | 1025 | Hardness in ranges of 38-46 or 42-48 HRC is regulated by an alloy composition based on the customer's request. Resistance to shock, high resistence to friction wear, fretting corrosion, cavitational erosion, oxidation in air up to 800 оС, corrosion in aqueous and alkaline environments and other aggressive industrial environments. Limited cobalt content in the alloy. Good workability with hard alloys. | Wear-resistant, extreme-pressure resistant coatings on steel, cast iron, and stainless steel. Restoration and reinforcement of shut-off valves in high pressure boilers. The material is NAKS certified for use in technical devices at high-risk facilities. Other fields include repair and protection of metallurgical, chemical and oil & gas equipment and parts of vehicles. |
| AP-NiCr13Si4B3 | 1030 | Resistance to friction and abrasion wear, shock, corrosion in aqueous and alkaline environments and other aggressive industrial environments. | Wear-resistant coatings for parts of metallurgical and mining equipment, shafts and sealing systems of pumps and vehicles |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4 | 980 | Medium-alloyed chromium alloy with a lower Тf than those of NiCr15Si3B2 and NiCr9Si3B2 and improved flowability. Resistance to friction wear and abrasion, oxidation in air up to 850 оС, and corrosion in aggressive environments | Wear-resistant, extreme-pressure resistant coatings on steel and cast iron parts – e.g., on internal cylindrical sides of shells in inductively welded extruders (HFC's) |
| AP-NiCr16Si3B3 | 1040 | Resistance to shock, high resistance to abrasive wear, fretting-corrosion, cavitational erosion, oxidation in air up to 800 оС, corrosion in aqueous and alkaline environments and in other aggressive industrial environments. Workable by cutting and grinding. | Wear-resistant coatings for parts in power engineering machine building (pumps and oil industry valving), metallurgical equipment for hot shops, stamping tools, extrudors at tyre factories, parts for automobiles, vessels and trains—e.g., blades of screw-propellors, locomotive parts, car couplings, etc. |
| AP-NiCr16Si3B3-U | 1050 | This material's properties are similar to those of NiCr16Si3B3, but it differs in terms of special requirements for particle size (100-280 microns) and control method of coating properties | Wear-resistant coatings for equpiment parts in power engineering machine building (pumps, oil industry valving) |
|
AP-NiCr8Cu6Si2B3P |
950 | In terms of hardness, the material is close to NiCr16Si3B3. Relatively lower flowing temperature and a low friction coefficient when paired with the alumninum alloy АСМ (Al-Sb-Mg) and Cu-Sn-Pb anti-friction bronze | Ring-shaped crankshafts of marine diesels and automobile parts. Composite PG-Al5Ni is used as a substrate. Wear-resistant coatings for cast-iron parts. |
| AP-NiCr25Si3B3 | 1050 | A self-fluxing alloy with increased chromium content. Resistance to mechanical wear and gas erosion at increased temperature and under dynamic loads | Restorating and protection of exhaust valves and saddles of locomotive diesels, and valvings. |
|
AP-NiCr7Si4B3Mo2Cu2 |
1000 | Resistance to mechanical wear and shock and increased resistance to corrosion | Wear-resistant coatings for parts operating under high loads and high temperatures |
| AP-NiCr16Si4B4Mo3Cu3 | 1010 | High resistance to abrasion and friction wear, cavitation and fretting-corrosion |
Resoration and strengthening of transport mechanisms (rolls, bearings) of metallurgical equipment for hot shops, valves and cranks of diesels, pump shafts, plungers of oil drowned pumps, steam valves, blades, knives and screw conveyors of mixers and press moulds in refractory ceramics production, etc. |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4 |
1025 |
High resistance to abrasion and erosion due to its high-strength Cr7 C3 phase, and to corrosion in fresh- and salt-water, saline solutions, oil-containing environments; resistance to oxidation in air up to 700-750 оС. f=0.4 for friction with Cr12Mo steel in open air |
Reinforcing coatings on machine parts and equipment in hot shops of metallurgical plants, oil submersible and subsurface pumps, gas pumping units, mining, road, and agricultural equipment. Reinforcing of screws in extruders for polymer materials and others |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4-U | 1025 | The material's properties are similar to those of AP-NiCrSi4B4. Base size is 45-125 microns, >125 below 3%, <45 below 3%. Hardness of the deposited coating is 56-61 HRC, microhardness of the sprayed and flowed coating is >595 HV 200 | Coating by spraying followed by reflowing. Oil and gas engineering, reinforcing of plungers in submersible deep-well pumps |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4-R | 1025 | This material differs from the base AP-NiCr17Si4B4 in terms of its improved flowability on the surface of steel parts — e.g. its ability to flow onto side surdaces of parts without a bulge | Reinforcing coatings on machine parts and equipment for power engineering, mining, road construction, and agriculture |
| AP-NiCr18Si5B4 | 1000 | Increased resistance to abrasion | Protection of equipment and machine parts from intense mechanical wear and corrosion |
|
Copper-based alloys |
|||
| AP-CuSn8Ni5Si1B1 | TS 780 TL 980 | Wear-resistant material with a high coefficient of friction f= 0.1 -0.07. The adhesion strength of the coatings melted at 990-1000 °C is 160-170 MPa | Wear-resistant functional coatings on copper alloy, steel and cast iron parts (e.g., gearbox synchronizer rings) |
|
Iron-based alloys |
|||
| AP-FeCr4Mn2Si2B4V1 | 1200 |
High resistance to abrasive and hydro-abrasive wear. The alloy forms dense, hard coatings during gas-powder and plasma surfacing |
Protection of equipment, parts of earth-moving machines, mining, road-building, and agricultural machinery from abrasive and hydro-abrasive wear |
| PG-Fe14 | 1100 | A new self-fluxing alloy based on an iron-nickel solid solution with good fluidity during melting. It forms dense, impact-resistant coatings with satisfactory machinability | Wear-resistant, medium-hard coatings on steel and cast iron in metallurgical and oil & gas industries, power engineering, and vehicles |
|
AP-FeCr11Mn4SiB |
1130 -1150 |
Eutectic alloys are resistant to abrasive, oil-abrasive wear, corrosive-mechanical damage, cavitation and gas erosion. The coatings boast increased plasticity and can be machined by turning. | Restoration of machine parts and equipment for oil & gas industry, transport, agricultural and road construction equipment. For example, FMI-2, FMI-5, mixed with low-alloy powder steel AP-Ni4Cu2Mo, is used for welding the supporting necks of shafts, while FMI-4 is mainly used for welding onto cast iron products |
|
AP-FeNi19Mn10SiB |
|||
|
AP-FeNi9Mn4SiB |
|||
Table notes:
Тf – flowing temperature (the first peak on the DTA heat content curve), ref. data;TS - solidus temperature;
TL - liquidus temperature;
f – friction coefficient in a friction pair with steel, ref. data.
AP-NiCu42Si1B1,
AP-NiSi2B1,
AP-NiSi2B2,
AP-NiCr13Si2B1,
AP-NiCr4Si3B1,
AP-NiCr9Si3B2,
AP-NiCr15Si3B2,
AP-NiCr13Si4B3,
AP-NiCr17Si4B4,
AP-NiCr16Si3B3,
AP-NiCr16Si3B3-U,
AP-NiCr8Cu6Si2B3P (PG-AN9),
AP-NiCr25Si3B3,
AP-NiCr7Si4B3Mo2Cu2,
AP-NiCr16Si4B4Mo3Cu3,
AP-NiCr17Si4B4,
AP-NiCr17Si4B4-U,
AP-NiCr17Si4B4-R,
AP-NiCr18Si5B4,
AP-CuSn8Ni5Si1B1,
AP-FeCr4Mn2Si2B4V1,
PG-Fe14,
AP-FeCr11Mn4SiB (FMI-2),
AP-FeNi19Mn10SiB (FMI-4),
AP-FeNi9Mn4SiB (FMI-5).
You can contact our sales managers for more details at:
export_polema@metholding.com,
tel.: +7(4872)25-06-76.
| Alloy name | Nominal chemical composition , % |
Coating hardness, HRC Typical values |
||||||
| Main components | ||||||||
| Ni | Cu | C | Cr | Si | B | Other | ||
|
Nickel-based alloys |
||||||||
| AP-NiCu42Si1B1 | base | 42.5 | 0.2 | - | 0.9 | 1,0 | Fe <3 | 190-230 HB |
| AP-NiSi2B1P | base | - | <0.05 | 0.35 | 2.15 | 0.7 | Fe <0.15 P 2 | 17-21 HRC |
| AP-NiSi2B1 | base | - | <0.15 | - | 2.4 | 1.4 | Fe <1.5 | 90-92 HRB |
| AP-NiSi2B2 (PS-22) | base | - | <0.12 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 1.8 | Fe <0.5 | 18-23 |
| AP-NiCr13Si2B1 | base | - | 0.3 | 13 | 2.4 | 1.5 | Fe <5 | 26-34 |
| AP-NiCr4Si3B1 | base | - | <0.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | Fe <3 | 30-35 |
| AP-NiCr9Si3B2 | base | - | 0.3 | 9 | 3 | 1.6 | Fe <5 | 32-38 |
| AP-NiCr15Si3B2 | base | - | 0.47 | 15 | 3.1 | 2 | Fe <5 Со<0.2 |
38-46 42-48 |
| AP-NiCr13Si4B3 | base | - | 0.6 | 13 | 4 | 2.8 | Fe 3.2 | 45-52 |
| AP-NiCr7Si4B3 | base | - | 0,45 | 7 | 3.7 | 2.8 | Fe <5 | 50-52 |
| AP-NiCr16Si3B3 | base | - | 0.75 | 16 | 3.2 | 2.7 | Fe <5 | 47-52 |
| AP-NiCr16Si3B3-U | base | - | 0.52 | 15.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 | Fe <5 | 42-48 |
|
AP-NiCr8Cu6Si2B3P
|
base | 6 | 0.85 | 8 | 2.2 | 2.9 | Fe <5 Р 0.6 | 48-57 |
| AP-NiCr25Si3B3 | base | - | 1.2 | 25 | 2.7 | 2.5 | Fe <5 Mn 0.2 | 45-51 |
| AP-NiCr7Si4B3Mo2Cu2 | base | 1.8 | 0.45 | 7 | 3.8 | 2.8 | Mo 2.2 Fe <5 | 50-55 |
| AP-NiCr16Si4B4Mo3Cu3 | base | 2.7 | 0.5 | 16 | 4 | 3.8 | Mo 2.7 Fe 3.5 | 52-58 |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4 | base | - | 1 | 17 | 4.1 | 3.6 | Fe <5 | 55-60 |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4-U | base | - | 1 | 17 | 4.2 | 3.6 | Fe <5 |
56-60 H V200 >595 |
| AP-NiCr17Si4B4-R | base | - | 0.8 | 17 | 4.2 | 3.1 | Fe <5 | 55-62 |
| AP-NiCr18Si5B4 | base | - | 1.2 | 17.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | Fe <5 | 60-62 |
|
Copper-based alloy |
||||||||
| AP-CuSn8Ni5Si1B1 | 4.8 | base | - | - | 0.8 | 0.6 | Sn 8 Fe <2 | 140-160 HRB |
|
Iron-based alloy |
||||||||
| AP-FeCr4Mn2Si2B4V1 | - | <0.5 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
V, Mn Fe base. |
60-64 |
| PG-Fe14 | 37 | - | 1.4 | 14 | 2.5 | 2.2 | Fe base. Мо, W | 38-45 |
| AP-FeCr11Mn4SiB (FMI-2) | - | - | 0.8 | 11 | 3 | 2.7 | Fe base. Mn 4 | >40 |
| AP-FeNi19Mn10SiB (FMI-4) | 19 | - | 0.35 | - | 3 | 2.7 | Fe base. Mn 4 | 40-45 |
| AP-FeNi9Mn4SiB (FMI-5) | 9 | - | 0.5 | - | 1.2 | 2.7 | Fe base. Mn 4 | 40-45 |