This development meets the need for thick, wear-resistant coatings on components used in high-abrasion environments like quarry and mining equipment, where maintenance requires major disassembly. Traditional thermochemical surface treatments such as cementation or nitriding are unsuitable due to their limited thickness and durability.The proposed solution is a thick (≥1 mm) Fe-Cr-based self-fluxing alloy coating applied via thermal spraying followed by remelting (fusing) to form a strong metallurgical bond with the substrate. The coating provides abrasion and erosion resistance, crack tolerance, and structural integrity under dynamic load conditions. It enables dual functionality: surface protection while maintaining a hardenable core (providing high load-bearing capacity). The alloy is engineered to prevent crack propagation, requires minimal post-treatment, and offers a cost-effective alternative to hardfacing or diffusion treatments, filling a key market gap. Alloy development begins at lab scale by adjusting the proportions of alloying elements to fine-tune remelting temperature and microstructural evolution, including the precipitation of hard phases for abrasion resistance. Thermodynamic modeling and melting trials serve to optimize the formulation targeting dense, crack-resistant coatings upon remelting. Spraying conditions (flame/HVOF) and fusing treatments (torch, furnace, laser) are evaluated which minimize porosity while optimizing bonding quality and dimensional stability. A small-scale series of components is coated and remelted under varied conditions to evaluate efficiency of deposition, coating thickness control, and surface finish, followed by mechanical testing (hardness, adhesion) and metallographic analysis. Finally, operational field testing in quarry or mining equipment assesses wear rate, downtime reduction, and coating durability, confirming maintenance-free, high-performance operation in harsh environments.
