Increased wear resistance of cultivator coulters coated with Fe–Cr-Nb cladding and evaluated in field conditions: sandy and compacted soil in southern Brazil.

Cultivator coulters show high wear in use, which causes excessive machine stops to replace parts and, consequently, high costs for the agricultural producer due to the exchange of these components. The present work evaluated the wear resistance of a cultivator coulter coated with Fe–Cr-Nb cladding applied by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). The tests were carried out specifically on sandy and compacted soil, in the severe field conditions found in the southern region of Brazil, in the city of Bagé, RS. The cultivator coulter was characterised by optical microscopy, roughness and coating thickness measurements, grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction analysis (GIXRD), and SEM/EDS. The volume losses of cultivator coulter were evaluated using an "Absolute 7330SI" laser scanner and the SPACE CLAIM 2021 R2 software. Soil compaction was determined by penetrometer test, and the soil composition analyses were also performed. The uncoated cultivator coulters were completely eroded in approximately 22 ha. However, the cultivator coulters coated with Fe–Cr-Nb cladding resisted during the 30 ha of the tested area. Extrapolation of the results suggests an increase of approximately 100% in the wear resistance of the coated cultivator coulter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]