THERMALLY SPRAYED COATINGS FOR RAILWAY APPLICATIONS

Thermally sprayed coatings are widely use in the area of energy industry, aircraft industry, metallurgical, glass and printing industry or for renovation and repairing, etc. Further possibility of the utilization of thermal spraying is in the area of railway traffic, in concrete terms in railway vehicles. The main aim of this work was aimed to find the suitable coatings for wheel-axle systems with ensuring good mechanical-physical properties during dynamic stress of the axles. Selected coatings sprayed using high pressure/high velocity and arc technologies were tested (abrasive wear, bond strength, macro and micro-hardness) and the coatings microstructure was evaluated (porosity, oxides, cracks, etc.). The results of experimental measurements provide beneficial information for a successive choice of suitable thermally sprayed material to given applications.