Improvement of the wear and corrosion resistance of nitrocarburized H13 steel using hydrothermal-synthesized zeolite coating

A zeolite coating was synthesized on a nitrocarburized H13 steel substrate to improve its wear and corrosion resistance using a two-step hydrothermal synthesis approach. The wear test showed that compared with the nitrocarburized H13 substrate, the zeolite-coated sample offered significantly better wear resistance with slightly lower mean coefficient of friction (COF), narrower and shallower wear profiles, and an approximately half wear rate. During the wear process, the protruding corners and edges of the zeolite particles gradually abraded into smooth areas. The wear mechanism of the zeolite-coated H13 sample against the GCr15 grinding ball included the abrasive wear of zeolite particles, formation of a transfer layer, surface oxidation of the wear debris through plastic deformation, and peeling off of the local zeolite particles. Electrochemical and immersion tests showed that the synthesized zeolite coating significantly enhances the corrosion resistance of the steel.