Toronto Coating company - Professional PVD, Die and TiAlN coating equipment and cutting tools

ERCOTEC (TM)

Using our proprietary technology we developed an erosion resistant coating that provides high wear resistant properties and responds to the demanding operating conditions in sandy environment.

These superior properties have been obtained by accommodating the contradictory requirements of hardness, thickness and ductility by reducing the residual compressive stresses in the coating.

In addition to its erosion resistant properties this coating provides increased corrosion protection. This new capability of the coating was developed to respond to the latest market requirements. Tested under the ASTM B117 standard conditions the coating exhibited no corrosion after 400 hrs.

Applications/components

Turbo-machinery: blades, vanes, blisks, impellers, diffusers.
Oil and gas: wellhead components (bowls and seats), valves, pins, seals.
Optical: sensor windows.

Description
Composition: TiAlN
Thickness : 15-40 µm
Microhardness: 2500 HV50
Adhesion: 60 N critical load (depends on the substrate material)

Cross sectional coating morphology

Scratch test track

Case study

The product has been successfully tested and validated by several Gas Turbine Engine manufactures. The coating demonstrated a good adhesion and capability to accommodate the significant mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion with the part's material (A286, AM 355, 17-7 PH, Inconel 718, Ti6Al4v etc).

As a result it has been validated as sand erosion resistant coating for the gas turbine engines compressor blades!

Laboratory tests

(Performed by Turbomachinery Erosion Lab., University of Cincinnati, OH)

Test conditions:

-abrasive: Al2O3
-size: 50 µm grit
-amount: 20 g
-temperature: 21 oC
-substrate: Ti alloy
-particle velocity: 152 m/s

Results:

Standardized tests (ASTM D 76-05)
(Performed at NRC Ottawa)

Test Conditions:		Alumina powder 50 µm, Velocity 84 m/s, Angle 90 degree, room temperature
time	sand	total sand	mass loss	total mass loss	Notes
min	gram	gram	microgram	microgram	Notes
370	34	241	410	1510	Substrate not exposed
Cumulative Erosion Rate (mcg/g)				6

Rainbow test

(Performed by a major GTE manufacturer)

Test conditions

Substrate: AM350 stainless steel
Duration: 180 min. at max. power + 60 min. at aprox. 65 % from the max. power
Abrasive: 120 µm sand
Total amount: 1.3 lbs.
Ingestion rate: 0.08-0.4 lb./min.

SPUTTEK coating - baseline

Results*:

* The rainbow test evaluated more coatings comparing them with the baseline (non coated blades). The Sputtek coating had 50 % less weight loss than the second placed coating and 80% less than the last one.