Effect of cyclic cryogenic treatment on tribological performance of Fe-based amorphous coatings in air and in 3.5% NaCl solution

Although amorphous metallic coatings are attractive as potential protective layers to resist wear and corrosion, their tribological performance are restricted by their inherent extreme brittleness. Because the deformation ability can be regulated by free volume, the effect of cyclic cryogenic treatment on the thermal sprayed Fe-based amorphous coating was investigated by reciprocating sliding against ZrO2 ball in air and in 3.5% NaCl solution, respectively. After cryogenic treatment, the coefficient of friction dropped from 0.845 to 0.738 and the wear rate decreased by about 30% under 20 N load in air. And the corrosion resistance also improved as well as the tribological performance in NaCl solution. Generally, cryogenic treatment is a right strategy for amorphous coatings to improve their tribological performance.