Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT

ABSTRACT



The shift from conventional manufacturing to green manufacturing is quickly picking up pace in
India. This project was undertaken on the similar lines of green manufacturing to suggest a
substitute (molybdenum coatings) to popular but hazardous phosphate coatings. For years HVOF
thermal spray coatings has been the most preferred choice in the field of wear and corrosion
protection. The present study focuses on relatively new molybdenum coatings to improve the
formability characteristics of sheet metal. Sheet metal finds a lot of application in the field of
automotive, defense, aeronautical, and here its formability characteristics has the major role to
play. But unfortunately this aspect has not been investigated at length by the researchers in the
past. Hence, the present work focuses on developing Molybdenum coatings on low carbon steel
by HVOF technique and to characterize its formability by means of Erichsen cupping test.
Microstructural studies have been carried out. Further Vickers hardness test, three point bending
test and salt spray corrosion tests on the specimens of uncoated mild steel, phosphate coated mild
steel and molybdenum coated mild steel sheet with the sheet dimensions being
(200mmx200mmx3mm). Microstructural studies indicate that the coatings developed by thermal
spray HVOF process is dense and uniform in thickness. Molybdenum coatings possessed highest
hardness, excellent formability in terms of cupping height depth and corrosion resistance when
compared with phosphated and uncoated low carbon mild steel.










Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The satisfaction and euphoria that accompany the successful completion of any task would be
incomplete without the mention of the people who made it possible, whose constant guidance
and encouragement crowned out effort with success.
We express our deep sense of gratitude to my
guide Dr. C.S Ramesh, Professor, P.E.S. Institute of Technology Bangalore for his untiring and
valuable guidance with constant encouragement at every stage of this project work. We are
grateful to Dr. K.S. Sridhar, Professor& Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering,
P.E.S. Institute of technology for giving me the consent to carry out the dissertation work. We
also express my sincere gratitude to Dr. K.N. Balasubramanya Murthy, Principal & Director,
P.E.S. Institute of technology, Bangalore for permitting to carry out the dissertation work.
We sincerely
thank Dr. K.T. Kashayp, Professor, Department Mechanical Engineering, P.E.S Institute of
technology for his constant support in carrying out project work. I sincerely thank Dr. Rajesh
Mathivanan N, Associate Professor, Department Mechanical Engineering, P.E.S Institute of
technology for his constant support and valuable advice
We are very grateful to all the teaching,
non-teaching, and administrative staff of Department of Mechanical Engineering, P.E.S. Institute
of Technology for their kind co-operation during this work. Finally, we thank to almighty, Our
Parents, friends for their help and support throughout our course and all who have helped me
directly and indirectly during this course of project





Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT




TITLE PAGE NO.
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Literature survey 2
Chapter 3 Highlights of project 4
3.1 Aim of the project 4
3.2 Need for green manufacturing 4
3.3 Green Manufacturing 5
3.4 Need for formability test 9
3.4.1 formability of sheet metals 10
3.4.2 Effect of material property on formability 10
Chapter 4 Study of chosen specimen 11
4.1 A brief history of metal sheet 11
4.1.1 Ferrous materials 12
4.1.2 Plain carbon steels 12
4.2 Properties and application of mild steel 13
4.2.1 Physical properties 14
4.2.2 Chemical properties 14
4.2.3 Application 14
Chapter 5 Study of the chosen coating materials 16
5.1 Study of molybdenum metal 16
5.2 Properties of molybdenum 17
5.3 Application of Molybdenum 17
5.4 Study of molybdenum Coatings 19
5.5 Molybdenum in amorphous form 21
5.5.1 Physical data 22
5.5.2 Application of Molybdenum powder 22
5.6 Phosphorus and its effect 23
5.6.1 Health effect of Phosphorus 23
5.6.2 Environmental effects of Phosphorus 24
5.7 Phosphate coatings 24
5.7.1 Advantages 25
5.7.2 Process of phosphating 25
5.7.3 Procedure of coating 25
5.7.4 Hazardous impact of Phosphating 26
Chapter 6 Study of chosen coating process-HVOF 27
Table of Contents

Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT

6.1 Benefits of the process 27
6.2 Process details 28
Chapter 7 Experimental Details 29
7.1 Phosphating 29
7.2 Molybdenum coating 31
7.2.1 What is grit blasting? 31
7.2.2 Application of grit blasting 31
7.2.3
Experimental procedure of Molybdenum
Coating with HVOF thermal spray
32
7.3 Result and analysis of SEM test 37
7.4 Erichsen cupping test 41
7.4.1 Conduction of The Erichsen cupping est 41
7.4.2 Principle of the test 41
7.4.3 Conduction and procedure of The test 42
7.4.4 Condition of testing equipment 43
7.4.5 Cupping test results 45
7.5 Salt Spray corrosion test 48
7.5.1 The Principle 49
7.5.2 Testing equipment 49
7.5.3 Applications 50
7.5.4 Testing procedure and results 51
7.6 Hardness test 53
7.6.1 Vicker hardness test 53
7.6.2 Hardness test results 56
7.7 Bending test 57
7.7.1 What are bend allowances? 57
7.7.2 What Is K-factor? 59
7.7.3 Reverse engineering K-factor 60
7.7.4 Results 62
Chapter 8 Conclusion 64
Chapter 9 Scope of future works 65
Chapter10 Future works 66





Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
No.
Description Page No.
3.1 Car wiper motor 5
3.2 Green manufacturing 6
5.1 Molybdenum metal 17
5.2 Molybdenum coatings on several specimen 20
5.3 Molybdenum powder 21
6.1 HVOF thermal spray gun 27
6.2 Process of HVOF coating 28
7.1 Mild steel sheet [200mmX200mmX3mm] 29
7.2 Zinc phosphate powder 30
7.3 The process of zinc phosphating 30
7.4 Mild steel sheet after zinc phosphate coating 31
7.5 Mild steel sheet after grit blasting 32
7.6 The set temperature 33
7.7 The set level of oxygen,fuel and air 33
7.8 HVOF gun 34
7.9 Grit blasting in progress 34
7.10 Grit blasting equipment 35
7.11 Molybdenum coating in progress 35
7.12 Mild steel sheet after Molybdenum coating 36
7.13 Moly coated sheet on the right and phosphated on the left 36
7.14 Moly coated under 2000X 37
7.15 Phosphate coated under 2000X 37
7.16 Moly coated under 800X 37
7.17 Phosphatecoated under 800X 37
7.18 Moly coated under 400X 38
7.19 Phospahte coated under 400X 38
Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT









LIST OF TABLES
7.20 Moly coated under 200X 39
7.21 Phosphate coated under 200X 39
7.22 Moly coated under 100X 40
7.23 Phospahte coated under 100X 40
7.24 Schematic diagram of cupping test 42
7.25 Arrangement of different component during the test 44
7.26 UTM used for cupping test 44
7.27 Top view of mild steel sheet after the cupping test 45
7.28 Top view of phosphate coated mild steel sheet after the cupping test 46
7.29 Top view of moly coated mild steel sheet after the cupping test 46
7.30 Molt coating(3),having the highest cupping depth when compared to
phospahte coated(2) and uncoated sheets
47
7.31 View of the samples from the rear side 48
7.32 Salt spray corrosion tester 50
7.33 Mild steel sheet after corrosion test 52
7.34 Phospahate coated mild steel sheet after corrosion test 52
7.35 Moly coated mild steel sheet after corrosion test 52
7.36 Vickers hardness tester 54
7.37 Schematic diagram of Vickers test 55
7.38 Uncaoted(1),phosphate coated(2),moly coated(3) mild steel samples
after bending test
63
Figure
No.
Description Page No.
Development of HVOF thermally sprayed molybdenum coatings for sheet metal applications

Departement of Mechanical Engineering.PESIT













4.1 Classification of ferrous materials 12
4.2 Physical properties of mil steel 14
4.3 Chemical properties of mild steel 14
4.4 Application of mild steel 15
5.1 Properties of molybdenum 17
5.2 Physical data of molybdenum powder 21
7.1 Cupping test result 45
7.2 Salt spray corrosion test results 51
7.3 Vickers hardness test result 57
7.4 Result of bending test with respect to k factor 63