Abrasive wear resistance of Fe3Al and Satellite 6 coatings for the protection of valve seats surfaces

The development of a technology that increases the service life of valve seats in CNG/LNG-powered vehicles requires the appropriate selection of material and the technology of its application. Commercially used valve seat materials show accelerated wear under operating conditions, especially in natural gas vehicle engines. The authors developed a new material concept and a new technological concept for the protection of the valve seat in CNG/LNG-powered vehicles. This article aims to present the first stage of tribological research. Two materials were used in the research: Stellite 6 alloy and Fe3Al intermetal. A commonly used material for valve seats of combustion engines is Stellite 6. The Fe3Al is the new proposed material coating for the protection of the valve seats of internal combustion engines. This article compares the abrasive wear resistance of these materials. The abrasion tests were performed on a T-11 pin-on-disc tester, and the counter-sample was steel S235JR. The test conditions were similar to those prevailing during the operation of the valves in the head of the internal combustion engine, without the influence of temperature. The obtained results indicate that the Fe3Al intermetal is characterized by a lower coefficient of friction and lower wear intensity than Stellite 6. The results confirm that the Fe3Al phase is a prospective material to be used as a protective material on the valve seat of vehicles.