Abstract: To investigate the effects of n-SiO2 on the tribological behavior of flame spray PA1010 composite coatings, the tribological properties of the PA1010/n-SiO2 composite coatings are examined by using a MRH-3 friction and wear tester. The statistical regression analysis of the experimental results are performed by using SPSS12.0 software for Windows. The results show that PA1010/n-SiO2 composite coatings present better friction resistance than pure PA1010 coating. Based on the morphological observation of the worn surfaces, the possible wear mechanism is discussed. The result shows that n-SiO2 particles make the composite coatings increased the wear resistance of the PA1010 matrix. When the coating contains 1.5% n-SiO2, the best wear resistance of the coating is obtained. The composite coatings are dominated by plastic deformation, plough marks and adhesion wear as they slid against the steel ring in dry ambient condition.

Key words: Composite coating, Flame spraying, Friction wear, n-SiO2, PA1010