The effect of residual stress in HVOF tungsten carbide coatings on the fatigue life in bending of thermal spray coated aluminum

One factor that affects the suitability of tungsten carbide (WC) coatings for wear and corrosion control applications is the fatigue life of the coated part. Coatings, whether anodized or thermal spray coated, can reduce the fatigue life of a part compared to an uncoated part. This study compares the fatigue life of uncoated and thermal spray coated 6061 Al specimens. The relation between the residual stress level in the coating and the fatigue life of the specimen is investigated.