The effect of coating residual stress on the fatigue life of thermal spray-coated steel and aluminum

The acceptance of thermal spray coatings in many applications depends on the effect of the coating on the fatigue performance of the coated part. One of the factors that influences the fatigue life of thermal spray-coated components is the residual stress in the coating. This study investigates the fatigue performance of tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) thermal spray coating systems. Bending fatigue tests of specimens with WC–Co coatings on both 4130 steel substrates and 6061 aluminum substrates were conducted. The through-thickness residual stress level in the thermal spray coatings was determined using the modified layer removal method. The effect of the residual stresses on the fatigue life of the coated specimens was analyzed. It was found that there is a direct relation between the residual stress in the coating and the fatigue life of the coated part. Fatigue life can be changed by a factor of ten due to the level of compressive residual stress in the coating.