Efficient preparation of mechanical seal face reinforcement layer by composite anode jet electrodeposition

With the petroleum, chemical, aerospace and other industrial areas of the increasingly harsh working environment, to ensure that high-speed and high-temperature mechanical seals can be long-term stable operation has become the key element to ensure the normal operation of the equipment. The utilization of additive manufacturing technology for the preparation of reinforced layers on seal end faces can significantly enhance the reliability and service life of the seals. Due to its advantages of simple operation and dense coating, electroplating exhibits extensive application potential in the field of seal face reinforcement for pump equipment such as oil transfer pumps and centrifuges. However, issues such as poor uniformity of the reinforced layer's microstructure, low deposition efficiency, and severe pollution still persist. Based on this, a new method of composite anodic jet electrodeposition (CAJED) for the preparation of Ni-Fe-WC reinforcement layer on seal face is proposed. It was found that the reinforcement layer with (220) highly preferred orientation structure ((220)HPOC) could be prepared by CAJED at high deposition current density and high solution flow rate, and the TC(220) of reinforcement layer exceeded 80 %. After testing, the bonding force of the (220)HPOC reinforcement layer is 54.6 N, the hardness can reach 557.62 HV, and the lowest friction coefficient is 0.109. The (220)HPOC reinforcement layer can provide a strong anti-friction effect and effectively suppress the wear of the seal face, thereby reducing the leakage of the seal face by 83.8 %. This research carries crucial guidance for developing high-performance reinforcement layers for mechanical seals.