Friction and wear properties of quasi-periodic material coatings

Quasicrystalline (QC) materials are of interest not only because of their u nique structure, but also because they exhibit unusual properties which are potentially useful in industrial applications. In the present study a rang e of aluminium-based QC alloys, in the form of plasma-sprayed coatings, has been produced and evaluated. For the first time the influence of heat trea tment on the structure and properties of these coatings has been systematic ally investigated, Of the nine QC coatings investigated, those of the Al-Cu -Fe-Cr system and the Al-Pd-Mn system showed the most promising combination of good hardness with low coefficient of friction.