Component with Composite Coating for Enhanced Wear Resistance and Method for Making Same

Abstract

A component includes a body and a wear layer. The body has a substrate surface. The wear layer is applied to the body such that the wear layer is in overlying relationship with at least a portion of the substrate surface. The wear layer is thermal-spray bonded to the body. The wear layer comprises a composite of a steel alloy and a copper alloy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A component comprising:
 a body, the body having a substrate surface; and   a wear layer, the wear layer applied to the body such that the wear layer is in overlying relationship with at least a portion of the substrate surface, the wear layer being thermal-spray bonded to the body, and the wear layer comprising a composite of a steel alloy and a copper alloy.   
     
     
         2 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite includes a volume, the volume including a first volume fraction of the steel alloy and a second volume fraction of the copper alloy, and wherein the first volume fraction is at least five percent of the volume of the composite. 
     
     
         3 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite includes a volume, the volume including a first volume fraction of the steel alloy and a second volume fraction of the copper alloy, and wherein the first volume fraction is in a range between ten percent and fifty percent of the volume of the composite. 
     
     
         4 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite includes a volume, the volume including a first volume fraction of the steel alloy and a second volume fraction of the copper alloy, and wherein the first volume fraction is in a range between twenty-five percent and fifty percent of the volume of the composite. 
     
     
         5 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite includes a volume, the volume including a first volume fraction of the steel alloy and a second volume fraction of the copper alloy, and wherein the first volume fraction and the second volume fraction are substantially equal to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the steel alloy comprises a carbon steel alloy. 
     
     
         7 . The component according to  claim 6 , wherein the carbon steel alloy comprises a mild steel alloy containing 0.05 wt %-0.25 wt % carbon. 
     
     
         8 . The component according to  claim 6 , wherein the carbon steel alloy comprises a SAE 1080 steel alloy. 
     
     
         9 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the steel alloy comprises a stainless steel alloy. 
     
     
         10 . The component according to  claim 9 , wherein the stainless steel alloy comprises an austenitic stainless steel alloy. 
     
     
         11 . The component according to  claim 9 , wherein the stainless steel alloy comprises a SAE 300-series austenitic stainless steel alloy. 
     
     
         12 . The component according to  claim 1 , wherein the steel alloy comprises at least one of a carbon steel alloy and an austenitic stainless steel alloy. 
     
     
         13 . The component according to  claim 12 , wherein the copper alloy comprises at least one of a copper-zinc alloy and an aluminum-bronze alloy. 
     
     
         14 . The component according to  claim 12 , wherein the copper alloy comprises a naval brass alloy. 
     
     
         15 . The component according to  claim 14 , wherein the composite includes a volume, the volume including a first volume fraction of the steel alloy and a second volume fraction of the naval brass alloy, and the first volume fraction and the second volume fraction being substantially equal to each other. 
     
     
         16 . A method of making a component, the component including a body having a substrate surface, the method comprising:
 applying, via thermal spray coating, a wear layer upon the body such that the wear layer is in overlying relationship with at least a portion of the substrate surface, the wear layer comprising a composite of a steel alloy and a copper alloy;   allowing the wear layer to solidify such that the wear layer is bonded to the body.   
     
     
         17 . The method of making according to  claim 16 , wherein the body is made at least in part from a substrate material, and the steel alloy and the copper alloy of the composite are both different from the substrate material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of making according to  claim 16 , wherein the thermal spray coating includes using a twin wire arc thermal spray machine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of making according to  claim 16 , wherein the steel alloy comprises at least one of a carbon steel alloy and an austenitic stainless steel alloy, and wherein the copper alloy comprises at least one of a copper-zinc alloy and an aluminum-bronze alloy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of making according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 machining the body to form the substrate surface, the substrate surface having a dimension with a value being less than a specification value;   wherein applying the wear layer to the body upon the body includes depositing the wear layer such that the value of the dimension when the wear layer is included therein is increased to be equal to or greater than the specification value.