Supersonic Particle Impact Testing on Electroless Nickel-Coated 304 Stainless Steel (SS304) to Determine Ignition Performance Compared to Uncoated SS304 and Monel 405
SourceNASA Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility performed supersonic particle impact testing to determine the relative supersonic particle impact ignition resistance in heated gaseous oxygen on the following materials: SS304 coated with 0.008 cm (0.003 in.) electroless nickel, SS304 steel coated with 0.015 cm (0.006 in.) electroless nickel, uncoated SS304, and Monel 405. All tests were performed with a single 2,000-μm (5/64-in.) 2017-T4 aluminum sphere impinged on each target, with a test pressure (at test sample face) of 7.6 ± 0.7 MPa (1,150 ± 50 psia), particle velocity of approximately Mach 1, and target temperature held at either 150, 260, or 370 ± 14°C (300, 500, or 700 ± 25°F). The test data suggested that at pressures of 7.6 ± 0.7 MPa (1,150 ± 50 psia) at the target face and temperatures up to 370°C (700°F), electroless nickel-plated SS304 has a significantly increased ignition resistance compared with uncoated SS304 and had an ignition performance more similar to Monel 405 in this sample configuration with a single impact. However, more research is needed to improve the tenacity of the nickel coating to increase the ignition resistance of the sample substrate to multiple impacts at these conditions. In some cases, the electroless nickel coating would completely spall, exposing the SS304 substrate and therefore leaving it vulnerable to ignition by a subsequent impact.