ABSTRACT Introduction: The primary cause of component outage is wear. To solve it, the application of coatings by welding is the most efficient way. Objectives: To obtain improved performance wear resistant coatings, using experimental consumables or controlling the deposition process by arc welding with commercial consumables, as well as manufacturing equipment and devices for mounting tests to validate their tribological performance. Methods: The coatings were obtained by arc welding. The evaluation focuses on the deposit wear performance, covering other properties that phenomenologically explain the behavior. For the tribological tests, the conceptual design and manufacture of equipment and devices were performed and operative techniques and laboratory practice guides were developed for their use. Results: Improve performance coatings are obtained to work in wear conditions, based on experimental consumables or based on the control of the deposition process with commercial consumables. The conceptual design and manufacture of equipment and devices for tribological testing of coatings for research, service provision to the business sector and teaching are carried out. Conclusions: It is possible to explain the performance of tribological coatings to extend the service life of components subject to wear, based on the use of experimental consumables or based on the deposition process control by welding with commercials consumables. The equipment and devices manufactured for tribological tests provide consistent criteria of coating performance, in turn enabling the provision of services to the business sector and teaching.

RESUMEN Introducción: El desgaste es la causa principal de salida de servicio de componentes. Para enfrentarlo, la aplicación de recubrimientos por soldadura constituye la vía más eficiente. Objetivos: obtener recubrimientos de mejor desempeño frente al desgaste, empleando consumibles experimentales o controlando el proceso de deposición por soldadura por arco con consumibles comerciales, así como fabricar equipos y dispositivos para el montaje de ensayos para validar su desempeño tribológico. Métodos: Los recubrimientos fueron obtenidos por soldadura por arco. La evaluación fue enfocada hacia el desempeño al desgaste, abarcando otras propiedades que explican fenomenológicamente el comportamiento. Para los ensayos trobológicos fue realizado el diseño conceptual y la fabricación de equipos y dispositivos y fueron elaboradas técnicas operatorias y guías de prácticas de laboratorio. Resultados: Se obtienen recubrimientos de mejor desempeño para enfrentamiento al desgaste, en base a consumibles experimentales o en base al control del proceso de deposición con consumibles comerciales. Se realiza el diseño conceptual y la fabricación de equipos y dispositivos para ensayos tribológicos de recubrimientos para la investigación, la prestación de servicios al sector empresarial y la docencia. Conclusiones: Es posible explicar el desempeño tribológico de recubrimientos para alargar la vida en servicio de componentes sometidos a desgaste, en base al empleo de consumibles experimentales o en base al control del proceso de deposición por soldadura con consumibles comerciales. Los equipos y dispositivos fabricados para ensayos tribológicos brindan criterios consistentes sobre el desempeño de recubrimientos, posibilitando también la prestación de servicios al sector empresarial y la docencia.

Abstract This work assesses the wear resistance behavior of different high Cr and Nb alloyed hardfacing deposits carried out by Self-shielded Flux Cored Arc Welding, considering the resulting microstructures as base for the analysis. To obtain non-commercial alloys, an “in-situ” technique was employed with addition of cold wire into the weld pool. Six combinations of two commercial FeCrC and FeCrNbC tubular wires and three different solid wires (AWS ER 70S-6, ER308LSi and ER 430) were used to obtain white cast iron hardfacing deposits on plain carbon steel subtracts. The welding parameters were identical for all combinations. Each deposit was characterized taking into account the resulting microstructure, hardness and abrasion wear resistance. The addition of a ferritic stainless solid wire in the weld pool resulted in the best wear resistance, which was boosted if Nb is present in the S-FCAW wire. The reason for these results was microstructure refinement and the presence of NbC and M7C3, the latter being present in all combinations.