Corrosion Behavior and Galvanic Corrosion Resistance of WC and Cr(3)C(2) Cermet Coatings in Madeira River Water

Thermally sprayed cermet coatings are adequate solutions to improve cavitation and wear resistance of hydraulic turbines made of stainless steel (SS), especially in rivers with a high sediment load, such as the Madeira River in Brazil. However, some cermets are easily dissolved in river water, leading to premature failure of the coating and costly maintenance. Moreover, galvanic corrosion induced by coupling the cermet to a SS can accelerate the coating dissolution. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of six cermets (WC-12Co, WC-10Ni, WC-10Co-4Cr, Cr(3)C(2)-25NiCr, Cr(3)C(2)-10NiCr and Cr(3)C(2)-10Ni) and the galvanic corrosion resistance of these materials coupled to CA6NM SS were evaluated in a solution that simulated Madeira River water. WC-12Co and WC-10Ni cermets exhibited the highest corrosion rates, 0.077 and 0.068 mm/year, respectively, whereas the Cr content in the WC-10Co-4Cr (0.017 mm/year) and Cr(3)C(2)-based coatings (0.005 to 0.007 mm/year) led them to corrode at slower rates. Moreover, the WC-10Co-4Cr and Cr(3)C(2)-based cermets exhibited negligible galvanic corrosion current when coupled to the CA6NM SS, making them good options to coat hydraulic turbines. In contrast, WC-12Co and WC-10Ni coatings underwent a more severe galvanic corrosion process, which would drastically reduce the lifespan of these materials as hydraulic turbine coatings.