Field performance and wear behavior of atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) Coated discs used in agricultural disc harrows

Abstract

The wear performance of coated and uncoated harrow discs was evaluated under real agricultural field conditions in order to assess the long-term effectiveness of three atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) systems: a Cr2O3–SiO2–TiO2 ceramic coating, a WC/W2C–Co carbide coating, and a Co–Cr–Ni–W–C alloy coating. In contrast to most previous studies focused on laboratory testing or short-term trials, the present work provides a comparative long-term field evaluation over 50 ha per disc (1000 ha total) under identical operating conditions in quartz-rich Argic Luvisol soil. Disc wear was quantified through periodic mass-loss and diameter measurements, complemented by microstructural and SEM analyses. The uncoated disc exhibited the most severe degradation, with a total mass loss of approximately 700 g and rapid acceleration of wear after the first 5–10 ha. The ceramic-coated disc showed the highest durability, limiting mass loss to approximately 390 g, corresponding to a reduction of about 44%, and maintaining the largest residual diameter after field operation. The Co-based alloy provided intermediate performance (~16% mass-loss reduction), while the carbide coating showed limited improvement (~7% reduction) due to microcracking and weak carbide–binder interfaces. The results demonstrate that, under real field conditions, coating microstructural integrity is more critical than nominal hardness, and highlight the superior effectiveness of ceramic APS coatings for extending disc service life in abrasive agricultural soils.