| Abstract | A detailed characterization project was undertaken by Velan, an international industrial valve designer and manufacturer, in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, and Polytechnique Montréal. The purpose was to assess the mechanical and tribological resistances of promising ceramic coatings for hydrometallurgy applications, including a novel n-TiO₂-Cr₂O₃ blend. Hardness and shear strength were determined using microhardness indentation testers and universal tensile testing equipment. Wear resistance of the coatings under sliding wear, abrasion, and galling conditions were measured by standard pin-on-disk tests, abrasion tests, and custom-designed galling tests. The main result is that the synergy between Cr₂O₃ and n-TiO₂ produced abrasion performance exceeding that of these materials alone. Also, an optimized balance between the hard and brittle Cr₂O₃ phases and the soft and ductile n-TiO₂ phases resulted in higher abrasion, sliding, and galling resistance. The novel n-TiO₂-Cr₂O₃ blend is therefore considered as a promising evolution of the current TiO₂-Cr₂2O₃3 blend. |
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