Processes and properties of deposits in electrospark deposition

Abstract

In the electrospark deposition of a material, a high current is conducted through an oscillating electrode and a substrate for a very short period of time. When the electrode is moved away from the surface, an arc is formed momentarily, causing melting of the electrode surface for a short time. In the present work, the process was monitored in real time using a high speed camera, permitting determination of the mode of mass transfer from the electrode to the substrate, the number and size of droplets, and arc guidance (i.e. spark guidance in the present process) during deposition. The variations of welding current, welding voltage, and pulse frequency were analysed using a high performance oscilloscope. One of the applications of the process is the deposition of hard layers on die casting tools for aluminium. The analysis was carried out using a scanning electron microscope and an X-ray diffraction microanalyser. Energy input was also studied.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Mg–Nd coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy produced by high-energy micro-arc alloying process

“…The material transferred from Mg-Nd electrode by setting 3 was largest among the three settings. Calculations showed that in the present study the pulse energy could vary between a few tenths of a joule and a little more than 4 J [9]. This means that by different parameter settings, the pulse energy is quite different, which causes different material transfer from the electrode.…”

“…The two primary components of this machine are the power supply and the torch/applicator head. The power supply is to supply the instantaneous discharging energy for coating deposition [7][8][9]; the torch/applicator head, primarily for coating applications. The maximum output power of the HEMAA machine is 1.5 kW (only can be output by 1500 W, 14% × 1500 W, 28% × 1500 W, 42% × 1500 W), with output of voltage 40 V, 60 V, 80 V and 100 V, continuously regulating frequency.…”

Repairing 2024 Aluminum Alloy via Electrospark Deposition Process: A Feasibility Study

“…e relationship between process parameters and the deposit structure has been also investigated [33][34][35][36]. Only few studies are related to the utilisation of ESD as a repair technology.…”

“…Many works have studied the mass transfer that occurs during the ESD process [25][26][27], which is paramount to produce a high wear-resistant coating [28][29][30][31][32].…”

A Study on Modification of Micro-Alloy Steel Surfaces with Different Hard Materials Via Electro-Spark Deposition Method

“…Since this process allows the use of any electrical conductor material as the electrode, it can be possible to form ultra hard ceramic or cermet coatings on the metallic substrates. This process can produce metallurgical bonding between the coatings and substrates depending on the process parameters, resulting in a much better coating adhesion, compared to other low-energy coating processes [5,6]. Thus, the pair of the electrode and the substrate material, which were selected, is an important parameter for coating process [7].…”