Ultrasonic characterization of elastic anisotropy in plasma-sprayed alumina coatings

An ultrasonic, nondestructive contact measurement technique was employed to detect and characterize the elastic anisotropy of a free-standing, plasma-sprayed alumina coating. Following this initial evalu-ation, a computer-assisted, ultrasonic anisotropic test bed was used to determine the anisotropic elastic stiffness constants of coatings produced by plasma gun currents of 600 and 400 A. The results showed that the plasma-sprayed alumina coatings are transversely isotropic; i.e., isotropic in the spraying direction. These coatings were characterized by five independent elastic stiffness constants. Coatings produced at 600 A plasma gun current showed higher elastic stiffness constants than those produced at 400 A plasma gun current. This increase appeared to be related to a decrease in the porosity content of the coatings pro-duced at the higher plasma gun current.     

Influence of Sealing Treatments with Ultrasonic Excitation on Corrosion Resistance of Plasma-sprayed Al2O3-13wt%TiO2 Coatings

A series of plasma-sprayed Al2O3-13wt%TiO2(AT13)coatings were sealed with silicone resin by using impregnating with and without ultrasonic excitation methods,respectively.And,sealing treatments with ultrasonic excitation(UE)were performed at different temperatures.The corrosion behaviors of the sealed AT13 coatings were investigated by immersion corrosion tests.The microstructure and porosity of the coatings were characterized.The porosity of the AT13 coatings decreases after sealing treatments and the coatings sealed with ultrasonic excitation have the lowest porosity.The result of immersion corrosion in 10vol%HCl aqueous solutions shows that most of UE-sealed coatings have lower weight losses value than that of the coatings sealed by conventional impregnating(CI).The ultrasonic excitation was useful for decreasing the opposing force acting against impregnation driven by moisture and air from pores and cracks,and accelerating the fluidity of sealant,which made the sealant penetrate deeply into the inner part of pores and cracks.All the results indicate that the corrosion resistance of plasma-sprayed AT13 coatings can be effectively improved by sealing treatments with ultrasonic excitation.     

Properties of plasma-sprayed freestanding ceramic parts

Plasma spraying can be used for the production of freestanding parts, such as plates, pipes, and crucibles. However, published data on the properties of such freestanding bodies are scarce. White alumina, gray alumina, zircon, and their combinations were plasma sprayed on metallic mandrels using a water-stabi-lized plasma gun and then stripped off. The resulting tubes were tested for gas permeability, porosity, and elastic properties. Pipes also were made from a mixture of ceramic and aluminum metal powders, and from “sandwich” bodies consisting of ceramic/metal/ceramic layers. Comparison of as-sprayed samples and samples after various posttreatments showed that posttreatments (i.e., sealing with organic and in-organic compounds or with metals, sol-gel technique, calcination, etc.) generally decreases gas perme-ability and increases elastic properties.     

Elastic and Conductive Properties of Plasma-Sprayed Ceramic Coatings in Relation to Their Microstructure: An Overview

This article focuses on micromechanics-based models that explicitly express the elastic and conductive properties of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings in terms of relevant microstructural parameters. These parameters reflect, in an integral way, the density and the orientation distribution of microcracks; they apply to strongly oblate pores as well. On the other hand, the porosity parameter usually plays a secondary role. Partial contacts between crack faces—a factor of major importance—are reflected via appropriate reduction of crack densities. The effect of various “irregularities” of crack shapes is discussed. Case studies of YSZ coatings demonstrate how the micromechanics-based modeling can be used and directly interfaced with 2-D image data.     

Nondestructive measurement of porosity in thermal barrier coatings

Porosity is an integral part of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) and is required to provide thermal insulation and to accommodate operational thermal stresses. The effective use of TBC in hot-section components of aircraft engines requires nondestructive testing (NDT) methods to detect porosity variations and measure thickness changes to reduce the risk of damage to the coating due to such variations. The eddy current method has been used to measure the thickness of a plasma-sprayed TBC coating and either ultrasonic or capacitance techniques have been applied to assess porosity content based on thickness values obtained using the eddy current tests. The porosity values estimated by the NDT methods have been confirmed by destructive testing, which included metallography and vacuum volumetric measurement using nitrogen absorption.     

镁合金表面超声滚压预处理对微弧氧化膜耐蚀性能的影响

镁合金基体首先进行超声滚压预处理后再进行微弧氧化镀膜,结合OM、SEM、EDS、XRD与电化学工作站(模拟体液PBS)对有无超声滚压处理的微弧氧化膜层性能进行测试分析,研究超声滚压处理对镁合金微弧氧化膜层性能的影响。结果表明:超声滚压处理后镁基体表面粗糙度降低、晶粒细化且硬度提升;与镁合金直接微弧氧化的膜层相比,超声滚压预处理之后再进行微弧氧化,膜层中的Si、P、Ca含量比例增大,膜层表面更为致密、光滑,大孔数量明显降低,表面孔隙率由31.7%降低至19.1%;从电化学测试结果看出,与直接微弧氧化的膜层相比超声滚压预处理后膜层的自腐蚀电位高出107 mV,腐蚀电流密度低了一个数量级,并且阻抗性能更优,镁合金超声滚压预处理可有效提升微弧氧化膜层在PBS溶液中的耐蚀性。     

Optical Coherence Tomography for the Inspection of Plasma-Sprayed Ceramic Coatings

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is evaluated as a potential technique for microstructure characterization of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings. OCT combines the principles of low-coherence interferometry and optical heterodyne detection to obtain both a high axial resolution and a high sensitivity to weakly backscattered light. It can be used to accurately locate interfaces where the refractive index changes abruptly within translucent materials. Therefore, OCT should be sensitive to interlamellar pores and splat interfaces within plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings. In the present work, OCT cross-sectional images of thin yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings are considered. The interferogram envelopes forming the collected images are analyzed individually to successfully gather information related to light attenuation inside the coatings. This light attenuation is shown to be related to the density of interfaces within the coatings as well as to the material oxidation state. The envelope analysis also allows the evaluation of the refractive index of the YSZ nontransformable tetragonal phase.     

Non-linear elastic properties of plasma-sprayed zirconia coatings and associated relationships with processing conditions

Low-temperature thermal cycling of plasma-sprayed zirconia coatings via curvature measurements revealed their in-plane non-linear behavior. This feature arises from the unique layered, porous and cracked morphology of thermal-sprayed ceramic materials. The non-linear aspect can be quantified by a novel data interpretation procedure consisting of modified beam bending analysis and inverse analysis. This versatile procedure requires minimum measurement preparation and computational effort, and its non-linear model enables correct data interpretations otherwise not possible with the previous assumption of linear elastic models. Using this procedure, various specimens were tested to investigate the effects of processing conditions. Results are interpreted in the context of microstructural changes in the plasma-sprayed coatings due to differences in particle state upon impact and coating build-up. The implications of this study are significant for the thermo-mechanical design of strain-tolerant ceramic coatings in thermal barrier applications.     

TiAl合金表面激光重熔纳米陶瓷涂层

采用等离子喷涂和激光重熔复合工艺在TiA l合金表面制备了纳米A l2O3-13wt%TiO2复合陶瓷涂层。为了使重熔后的陶瓷涂层保留一定的纳米结构组织,采用相对较低的激光功率和能量密度进行重熔。用扫描电镜(SEM)和X射线衍射仪(XRD)分析了涂层形貌、微观结构和相组成。结果表明,等离子喷涂纳米陶瓷涂层由纳米颗粒完全熔化区和部分熔化区两部分组成,具有等离子喷涂态的典型层状结构;由于受到激光功率、能量密度、陶瓷材料热物性参数和涂层厚度等因素的综合影响,重熔后陶瓷涂层出现了明显的分层结构特征;依据组织形态的不同,可将其大致分为:重熔区、烧结区和残余等离子喷涂区。重熔区由致密细小的等轴晶组成,并且保留了部分来源于原等离子喷涂部分熔化区的残留纳米粒子。由于等离子喷涂过程中涂层沉积时的快速凝固作用,涂层以亚稳相-γA l2O3为主,经过激光重熔处理后,-γA l2O3又重新转变为稳定相-αA l2O3。     

The deformation and cooling of ceramic particles sprayed with a thermal radio-frequency plasma under atmospheric conditions

Common thermal-spray techniques use the strong acceleration of powder particles to produce dense ceramic coatings with high bond strength. The residence time of the powder particles within the plasma jet is correspondingly low, and only relatively small particles can be molten. In this work, on the contrary, an inductively coupled radio-frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch was used to spray large oxide-ceramic powder particles under atmospheric conditions. The slow plasma flow of a RF plasma leads to large residence times of the powder particles, so that the powder size of the feedstock can be 100 μm and more. It was observed that these particles will not be strongly accelerated in the plasma and that their velocity at the moment of impact is in the range of 10 to 20 m/s. Ceramic coatings were ICP sprayed with a low porosity and a high bond strength, similar to direct current (DC) or high-velocity-oxygen-fuel (HVOF) sprayed coatings. The morphology of ICP-sprayed particles on smooth steel surfaces, as a function of the surface temperature, is described and compared with DC plasma-sprayed splats. Furthermore, the degree of deformation was measured and determined by different models, and the pronounced contact zones formed between the pancake and the substrate were investigated. The ICP-sprayed ceramic coatings show some special properties, such as the absence of metastable crystalline phases, which are common in other spray technologies.     

Effect of Particle Size on the Micro-cracking of Plasma-Sprayed YSZ Coatings During Thermal Cycle Testing

The failure of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) during service or thermal cycle testing usually results from internal cracking in the top coat, erosion and CMAS (calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate)-induced damage, etc. The microstructure of ceramic coatings affects their durability and other properties of TBCs. In the present study, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) using feedstocks with different particle sizes. In addition, the effect of particle size on damage evolution in the top coat was investigated. It is found that the coatings deposited using coarse particles show the higher thermal cycle life. Crack length grew with increasing numbers of thermal cycles. The faster crack growth rate can be found for the coatings deposited from fine particles. The porosity of the coating made from the coarse powder is larger than the porosity of the coating made from fine powder both in the as-sprayed condition and after thermal cycling. The changes in crack growth rate and the porosity are related to the effect of sintering and stress evolution in coatings during the thermal cyclic tests.     

Hot and cold erosive wear of thermal sprayed NiCr-based coatings: Influence of porosity and oxidation

In this work, the hot and cold erosive wear mechanisms of HVOF and plasma-sprayed NiCr-based coatings are evaluated. Erosion tests were carried out in specially developed equipment, with possible variations in temperature and attack angle. The effects of erodent incrustation (SEM/EDS mapping) and oxidation of metallic coating (mass weight) were considered. The results were associated with the microstructural characteristics of the coatings (porosity, size of lamellae) and with the mechanical properties, such as microhardness and elasticity modulus. The obtained results showed that NiCr coatings are ductile, a property similar to monolithic metallic materials. The porosity influenced both the amount of incrusted alumina particles and oxidation. The increase in temperature caused higher oxidation and erodent incrustation.     

Improving Erosion Resistance of Plasma-Sprayed Ceramic Coatings by Elevating the Deposition Temperature Based on the Critical Bonding Temperature

Interlamellar bonding within plasma-sprayed coatings is one of the most important factors dominating the properties and performance of coatings. The interface bonding between lamellae significantly influences the erosion behavior of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings. In this study, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ coatings with different microstructures were deposited at different deposition temperatures based on the critical bonding temperature concept. The erosion behavior of ceramic coatings was investigated. It was revealed that the coatings prepared at room temperature exhibit a typical lamellar structure with numerous unbonded interfaces, whereas the coatings deposited at the temperature above the critical bonding temperature present a dense structure with well-bonded interfaces. The erosion rate decreases sharply with the improvement of interlamellar bonding when the deposition temperature increases to the critical bonding temperature. In addition, the erosion mechanisms of ceramic coatings were examined. The unbonded interfaces in the conventional coatings act as pre-cracks accelerating the erosion of coatings. Thus, controlling interlamellar bonding formation based on the critical bonding temperature is an effective approach to improve the erosion resistance of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings.     

Study of plasma- and detonation gun-sprayed alumina coatings using taguchi experimental design

Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is a most versatile thermal spray method for depositing alumina (Al₂O₃) coatings, and detonation gun (D-gun) spraying is an alternative thermal spray technology for depositing such coatings with extremely good wear characteristics. The present study is aimed at comparing the characteristics of Al₂O₃ coatings deposited using the above techniques by using Taguchi experimental design. Alumina coating experiments were conducted using a Taguchi fractional-factorial (L₈) design parametric study to optimize the spray process parameters for both APS and D-gun. The Taguchi design evaluated the effect of four APS and D-gun spray variables on the measured coating attributes. The coating qualities evaluated were surface roughness, porosity, microhardness, abrasion, and sliding wear. The results show that the coating quality is directly related to the corresponding coating microstructure, which is significantly influenced by the spray parameters employed. Though it is evident that the D-gun-sprayed coatings consistently exhibit dense and uniform microstructure, higher hardness, and superior tribological performance, the attainment of suitable plasma-sprayed coatings can be improved by employing the Taguchi analysis.     

Mechanical properties of the plasma-sprayed Al2O3/ZrSiO4 coatings

The mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed Al₂O₃/ZrSiO₄ coatings were investigated by indentation-based techniques. Two types of feedstock were used to prepare the coatings: spray-dried powders and plasma-spheroidized powders. A 100-kW direct current (d.c.) thermal plasma system was employed. The values obtained were found to exhibit a close relationship with the microstructure of the as-sprayed coatings, which composed of zircon, alumina, amorphous silica and tetragonal zirconia. The coatings produced with plasma-spheroidized powders had higher microhardness, Young's modulus and fracture toughness than that produced with the spray-dried powders. The coatings produced with plasma-spheroidized powders by a 100-kW computerized system at 15 kW of net plasma energy had the best mechanical properties, while those deposited at 19 kW of net plasma energy had the worst properties due to the high density of cracks in the coatings.     

Wear and erosion behavior of plasma-sprayed WC-Co coatings

Wear mechanisms of air plasma-sprayed WC-12%Co coatings were studied by using a dry sand rubber wheel (DSRW) abrasive, ring-on-square adhesive wear, and alumina particle erosion tests. Coating properties such as intersplat cohesive strength, porosity, surface roughness, hardness, and retained carbide as well as microstructures were characterized to assess their relationship on wear performance. Porosity, hardness, surface roughness, and retained carbide of the coatings are not the principal factors affecting wear performance. Intersplat cohesive strength of coatings, measured by a simple bonding test, is the most significant factor that relates to the wear rate of thermal spray coatings.     

Effect of Vacuum Annealing on the Characteristics of Plasma Sprayed Al2O3-13wt.%TiO2 Coatings

Adhesion strength is one of the critical properties for plasma-sprayed coating. In this study, the plasma-sprayed Al₂O₃-13wt.%TiO₂/NiCrAl coatings were annealed at 300-900?°C for 6?h in vacuum. The tensile bond strength and porosity of the coatings were investigated. The microstructure and the fracture were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. It was found that the tensile bond strength of coatings increased with the increase of annealing temperature until 500?°C, reaching the maximum value of 41.2?MPa, and then decreased as the annealing temperature continues to increase. All coatings presented a brittle fracture and the fracture occurred inside the ceramic coatings except for the coating annealed at 500?°C, which had a brittle-ductile mixed fracture and the fracture occurred at the interface of bond coating and the substrate.     

Effects of Dissimilar Alumina Particulates on Microstructure and Properties of Cold-Sprayed Alumina/A380 Composite Coatings

In this study,alumina/A380 composite coatings were fabricated by cold spray.The influence of alumina particulates' morphology(spherical and irregular) and content on the deposition behavior of the coatings(including surface roughness,surface residual stress,cross-sectional microstructure and microhardness) was investigated.Results revealed that the spherical alumina mainly shows micro-tamping effect during deposition,which result in remarkable low surface roughness and porosity of the coatings.In addition,very low deposition efficiency and good interfacial bonding between the coating and the substrate were achieved.For irregular alumina particles,the embedding of ceramic particulates in the coating was dominant during deposition process,resulting in high retention in the final deposit.However,it showed limited influence on porosity,surface roughness and interfacial bonding of the deposit.The coatings containing irregular alumina particulates exhibited much higher microhardness than those containing spherical alumina due to the higher load-bearing capacity of deposited alumina.     

高性能陶瓷涂层及其制备工艺发展趋势

从功能、用途方面分类综述了耐磨、耐蚀以及热障三大类高性能陶瓷涂层,在此基础上,介绍了高性能陶瓷涂层常用的制备工艺,重点探讨了不同制备方法的特点和适用场合,指出了制备方法的发展方向。物理气相沉积技术(PVD)制备的陶瓷涂层纯度高、致密性好,并且与基体结合牢固,但其生产成本高,生产效率低,因此物理气相沉积技术向着高效率、低成本的方向发展。化学气相沉积技术(CVD)制备的陶瓷涂层涂覆率高、致密性好,但其反应温度高,并且伴随着有毒有害气体产生,因此化学气相沉积技术向着低温、环保的方向发展。等离子喷涂技术(PS)制备陶瓷涂层成本低、效率高、适应性强,但涂层孔隙率高,并且涂层与基体的结合强度低,因此等离子喷涂技术向着高致密、高结合强度的方向发展。激光熔覆技术制备的陶瓷涂层组织细小、力学性能优良,但其操作工艺复杂,产品质量很难控制,因此激光覆熔技术向着工艺简单、质量可控的方向发展。最后,展望了高性能陶瓷涂层及其制备工艺的发展方向和可能的研究内容。     

Effect of porosity of phosphate coating on corrosion resistance of galvanized and phosphated steels Part I: Measurement of porosity of phosphate

The corrosion resistance of phosphated and painted steels is associated with the integrity of phosphate and paint layers. In this work, a methodology to measure the porosity of phosphated coatings based on cathodic polarization technique with an electrolyte of a sodium sulfate aqueous solution was developed. The morphology and mass of phosphate layers were determined. Phosphating was performed using the spraying and immersion techniques, varying the refiner content of bath in the immersion operation. The phosphate coatings obtained by immersion with a refiner showed the lowest values of porosities among the samples studied. The phosphate layers, obtained by spraying, immersion without a refiner, and immersion with a half content of refiner, showed the lowest porosity on electrogalvanized steel. The phosphate layer obtained by immersion with a refiner displayed the lowest porosity on the substrate of ungalvanized steel.