Effect of Nickel Chrome and Diamond-Like Carbon Coating HQ 805 Steel on Corrosion Rate

HQ (High Quality) machinery steel series 805 equivalent to AISI 4340 is a low alloy steel group with very high strength and toughness. These steels are often used for the manufacture of shafts, gears, and various machining components. However, HQ 805 steel is also very sensitive to damage caused by corrosion and can cause continuous damage to the material. A common problem faced by advanced industries today is metal corrosion. Corrosion is a decrease in the quality of metal due to electrochemical reactions with its environment, causing damage resulting in both economic and safety losses. Corrosion losses result in increased maintenance costs, decreased production capacity, production stops completely (shutdown), causes product contamination, environmental pollution, health and safety problems, and other intangible losses. In general, the most common corrosion is caused by air and water. One way to prevent corrosion is by coating, namely coating the metal with a material, so that the metal is protected from corrosion and currently many use surface treatment processes, by providing a thin film on the steel surface. HQ 805 by way of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) and Ni-Cr Electroplating. DLC can increase surface hardness and reduce corrosion rates while Ni-Cr electroplating is a type of surface treatment that can improve mechanical properties and can reduce corrosion rates.