Highly Wear Resistant Coatings

A research group at the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU, Brandenburgische Technische Universität) in Senftenberg, Germany, has developed coatings with high wear resistance, which are used in crushers and grinding plants, for example.

Together with an industrial company and representatives of the Hochschule Niederrhein led by Prof. Johannes Wilden, the Prof. Winkelmann-led research group at the BTU, Senftenberg, has succeeded in producing highly wear resistant coatings. For the first time, non-metallic hard materials could be embedded in coatings in sufficient quantity and distribution to produce highly wear resistant components. Around 30 percent by volume was achieved in the percentage content of the hard materials in the coating. The non-metallic hard materials based on aluminium, silicon and zirconium are the main cause of the wear resistance in these coatings and reduce supply risk since these resources are readily available. In order to initiate metallic reactions and hence create a secure bond, new filler materials for welding and spray applications had to be developed. Costs for filler materials could be reduced by 90%.

The coatings developed can be used wherever abrasive wear, i.e. material loss due to friction, has a very significant effect on the economic efficiency of processes such as on components for extraction and processing machines or in the crushing industry, e.g on crushers and grinding plants. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) and supported by AiF Projekt GmbH.