Study on the Anti Erosion Performance of Titanium Alloy and Chromium Coating for Shipbuilding
In the maintenance of marine vessels, the components need to withstand extreme working environments, especially the challenge of high temperature erosion, which greatly limits their service life. This article focuses on an innovative processing method aimed at treating titanium alloy materials through specific processes and coating their surfaces with a chromium layer to enhance their resistance to erosion. Through laser ablation experiments simulating the actual working environment of ships, we have delved into the effects of this processing on the properties of titanium alloys and chromium coatings. With the continuous advancement of ocean engineering technology, the performance requirements for ship components are becoming increasingly stringent. Titanium alloys play an important role in shipbuilding due to their excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, the problem of high-temperature erosion in the marine environment remains a major obstacle to its application. To address this challenge, we have adopted advanced processing techniques to surface-treat titanium alloys and coat them with a chromium layer in order to enhance their resistance to erosion.
Processing and material preparation for titanium alloy substrate processing: Precision wire cutting technology is used to cut the titanium alloy raw material into standard-size (2 cm × 1 cm × 0.5 cm) samples. Subsequently, use sandpaper for polishing, then polish with paste to achieve a mirror effect, and finally use ultrasonic cleaning to remove surface impurities and ensure the smoothness of the substrate surface. Chromium coating processing: Using advanced arc ion plating technology, chromium coating is deposited on the surface of prepared titanium alloy samples. By precisely controlling the vacuum degree (6 × 10 ^ -3 Pa), temperature (300 ° C), NH3 pressure (2-3 Pa), and bias voltage (800~1000 V), the chromium coating is ensured to be uniform and dense, with a deposition time controlled within 10~20 minutes. Laser ablation experiments and result analysis were conducted to evaluate the anti-ablation performance of processed titanium alloys and chromium coatings. We designed a series of laser ablation experiments. The experiment used a self-made long pulse width laser (model FLK-TIX6409Hz) to simulate the ablation process of ship components in high-temperature environments by adjusting the pulse energy and number. The experimental results showed that the untreated titanium alloy substrate exhibited large and deep ablation pits on the surface under laser ablation. Although the central area was smooth, it was accompanied by many cracks, and thick oxide deposits were formed in the edge area. In contrast, the chrome-plated layer on the surface of the processed titanium alloy exhibits superior anti-ablation performance under the same conditions, with shallower ablation pits less crack distribution, and significantly reduced oxide accumulation.
Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis of the microstructure and composition of the ablated surface, we found that the chromium coating effectively blocked the direct erosion of the titanium alloy substrate by high-temperature oxygen, reduced the occurrence of oxidation reactions, and thus improved the overall anti ablation performance of the material. Conclusion and Prospect: This study successfully improved the ablation resistance of titanium alloys and chromium coatings through innovative processing methods. The experimental results indicate that chromium coating plays an important role in protecting the titanium alloy substrate from high-temperature erosion, significantly extending the service life of ship components. Future research can further explore the impact of different processing parameters on coating performance, as well as develop more high-performance protective coating materials to meet the urgent demand for high-performance components in the shipbuilding industry.
