The Influence of Process Equipment on the Properties of Suspension Plasma Sprayed Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Coatings

Suspension plasma-sprayed YSZ coatings were deposited at lab-scale and production-type facilities to investigate the effect of process equipment on coating properties. The target application for these coatings is solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolytes; hence, dense microstructures with low permeability values were preferred. Both facilities had the same torch but different suspension feeding systems, torch robots, and substrate holders. The lab-scale facility had higher torch-substrate relative speeds compared with the production-type facility. On porous stainless steel substrates, permeabilities and microstructures were comparable for coatings from both facilities, and no segmentation cracks were observed. Coating permeability was further reduced by increasing substrate temperatures during deposition or reducing suspension feed rates. On SOFC cathode substrates, coatings made in the production-type facility had higher permeabilities and more segmentation cracks compared with coatings made in the lab-scale facility. Increased cracking in coatings from the production-type facility was likely caused mainly by its lower torch-substrate relative speed.     

Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coatings with (002) Texture

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings are being widely used in biomedical applications owing to their excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. Recent studies have demonstrated that the crystallographic texture plays an important role in improving the chemical stability and mechanical properties of HA coatings. In this study, optimized APS parameter was selected to deposit HA coatings with strong (002) crystallographic texture, high phase purity and enhanced melting state. Cross-sectional SEM images show uniformly distributed columnar grains perpendicular to the coating surface. To study the formation conditions of columnar grains, coatings with distinct microstructure were deposited with different spray parameters. Moreover, HA coatings were deposited on substrates with varying temperatures such as 25, 300 and 600 °C at a long stand-off distance to evaluate the role of the substrate temperature in the formation of columnar grains. The results indicate that completely molten in-flight particles and slow cooling rate are necessary conditions to form a strong crystallographic texture. The present study suggests that the crystalline structure of HA coatings deposited and formed by APS could be well controlled by modifying spray parameters and substrate temperature.     

Influence of Substrate Properties on the Formation of Suspension Plasma Sprayed Coatings

In this study, YSZ coatings were deposited on different substrate materials (stainless steel and aluminum) using suspension plasma spray technique. The effects of substrate properties (material, surface topology, temperature, and thickness) on the formation of coatings were investigated. The results showed that, with the identical spray parameters, the porosity is higher for the coatings deposited on aluminum than that on stainless steel due to the high thermal transfer ability of the former substrate material. The SEM results revealed that the microstructure of as-prepared coatings could be tailored from the vertical cracked structure to the columnar structure by increasing the substrate surface roughness and their formation mechanisms were discussed. The substrate preheating temperature has an influence on the microstructure of the coatings, especially in the interfacial region. Increasing the substrate temperature is an effective means for reducing the interface defects and for improving the adhesion of the coatings. With the increase in the substrate thickness, the quantity of the vertical cracks in the coatings is reduced and their width becomes narrower.     

Cyclic oxidation resistance of Ni–Al alloy coatings deposited on steel by a cathodic arc plasma process

The cyclic oxidation resistance of nickel-aluminide coatings deposited on steel using a cathodic arc plasma (CAP) process has been investigated. Our results show that nickel-aluminide films can be successfully deposited on carbon steel and stainless steel substrates by this process; NiAl₃ is the major phase in the deposited films. The thermal cycling behaviour suggests that such coatings can resist oxidation through physical blocking of oxygen, either by the coating itself or by the aluminium oxide scale subsequently formed in-service. Aluminium diffusion inwards to the substrate may also be beneficial to the thermal oxidation resistance. The coating protects stainless steel substrate materials at 500°C by transforming the NiAl₃ phase into NiAl, producing aluminium oxide on the open substrate surface. At 800°C, oxide flaking is suppressed by the trace amounts of nickel or aluminium which have partially diffused into the substrate.     

The Influence of Spray Parameters on the Characteristics of Hydroxyapatite In-Flight Particles,Splats and Coatings by Micro-plasma Spraying

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the most important bioceramic materials used in medical implants. The structure of HA coatings is closely related to their manufacturing process. In the present study, HA coatings were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V substrate by micro-plasma spraying. Results show that three distinct HA coatings could be obtained by changing the spraying power from 0.5 to 1.0 kW and spraying stand-off distance from 60 to 110 mm: (1) high crystallinity (93.3%) coatings with porous structure, (2) high crystallinity coatings (86%) with columnar structure, (3) higher amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP, 50%) coatings with dense structure. The in-flight particles melting state and splat topography was analyzed to better understand the formation mechanism of three distinct HA coatings. Results show that HA coatings sprayed at low spraying power and short stand-off distance exhibit high crystallinity and porosity is attributed to the presence of partially melted particles. High crystallinity HA coatings with (002) crystallographic texture could be deposited due to the complete melting of the in-flight particles and low cooling rate of the disk shape splats under higher spraying power and shorter SOD. However, splashed shape splats with relative high cooling can be provided by increasing SOD, which leads to the formation of ACP.     

Characterization of Thermal Diffusion Related Properties in Plasma Sprayed Zirconium Coatings

Zirconium (Zr) metal is of interest for chemical corrosion protection and nuclear reactor core applications. Inert chamber plasma spraying has been used to produce thin Zr coatings on stainless steel (SS) substrates. The coatings were deposited while using transferred arc (TA) cleaning/heating at five different current levels. In order to better understand thermal diffusion governed processes, the coating porosity, grain size and interdiffusion with the substrate were measured as a function of TA current. Low porosity (3.5 to <0.5%), recrystallization with fine equiaxed grain size (3-8???m diameter) and varying elemental diffusion distance (0-50???m) from the coating-substrate interface were observed. In addition, the coatings were low in oxygen content compared to the wrought SS substrates. The Zr coatings sprayed under these conditions look promising for highly demanding applications.     

Electrochemical behaviour enhancement of stainless steels by a SiO2 PACVD coating

Amorphous silica coatings have been deposited by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) process on M2 steel and 304 stainless steel substrates. The chemical inertia of the coating has been established by resonant quartz crystal microbalance (RQCM), and no porosity has been observed at the AFM scale. The barrier effect has been evaluated on M2 steel by applying the concept of dipolar relaxation. The protection is very efficient, and no deleterious galvanic coupling with the uncoated metallic surface can occur.

A coated stainless steel was also investigated in NaCl solution in order to understand how the passive properties are influenced by such a barrier coating. When deposited on stainless steel, coated part keeps the beneficial passive behaviour inherent to the substrate. They evidence almost no corrosion. The silica based layer behaves as a quasi perfect dielectric. The corrosion rate is then greatly reduced, and the pitting resistance is improved. The excellent localized corrosion protection has been explained by a tiny porosity rate, and a limited access of chloride ions through open pores.     

Corrosion behaviour of as deposited and PMMA treated TiN coating systems deposited by cathodic arc technique

Abstract

Vapour deposited coatings usually contain microscopic defects, which can provide corrosive media with easy access to the substrate. Consequently, formation of galvanic cells between the coating and substrate can initiate localised corrosion at the defective sites. In this study, TiN coatings were deposited on mild steel (MS) and stainless steel (SS) substrates using a cathodic arc technique. A post-deposition treatment with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was applied to both TiN/MS and TiN/SS systems to block access of corrosion media to the substrates through the coating defects. The as deposited and PMMA treated coating systems were subjected to electrochemical tests in 3·5%NaCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarisation testing results indicated that the PMMA treatment led to a higher corrosion potential and a lower anodic current density for both TiN/MS and TiN/SS systems when compared with their as deposited counterparts. Extended exposure in 3·5%NaCl caused severe localised corrosion in the as deposited TiN/MS due to the presence of coating defects and poor corrosion resistance of the substrate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements demonstrated that the PMMA post-deposition treatment significantly improved corrosion resistance of both TiN/MS and TiN/SS systems by effectively sealing the open voids or pores associated with the coating defects.     

超音速火焰喷涂316L不锈钢涂层性能研究

采用超音速火焰喷涂技术(HVOF)在高强钢表面制备了316L不锈钢涂层,利用扫描电镜、显微硬度仪、电化学测试系统等设备对涂层金相组织、硬度、结合性能和抗腐蚀性能等进行了测试,并分析了WC-CoCr中间层对316L不锈钢粉末涂层结合强度及涂层界面的影响。结果表明:超音速火焰喷涂316L不锈钢粉末颗粒在喷涂中变形充分,形成较致密的涂层,并具有超过400 HV0.1的显微硬度;涂层具有较高自腐蚀电位,耐蚀性优于高强钢;涂层结合强度随着涂层厚度的减小、基体硬度的增加而提高;WC-CoCr底层可改善涂层界面结合,从而改善316L不锈钢涂层的结合性能。     

Study of the Splat Microstructure and the Effects of Substrate Heating on the Splat Formation for Ni-Cr Particles Plasma Sprayed onto Stainless Steel Substrates

The plasma spraying process is still poorly understood in term of the processes by which the coating is built up, especially coating interactions with the substrate. This present study enhances this understanding by studying, through a range of electron microscopy techniques, single NiCr splats plasma sprayed onto stainless steel substrates, which were first exposed to different heat treatments. The microstructure of the splats, particularly the splat-substrate interface, was characterized, and the formation of the observed features is discussed. Evidence of localized substrate melting and inter-mixing with the splat material was found, showing metallurgical bonding. The structures observed were also correlated to the treatment of the substrate, demonstrating how such treatments can influence the properties of the fully deposited coating by modifying the splat formation process. Most notably, heating the substrate during spraying was found to significantly modify splat formation by reducing splashing and increasing the extent of substrate melting.     

Mechanical and tribological properties of rhombohedral diamond-rich coatings grown on stainless steel by hot filament CVD

In this study, rhombohedral diamond-rich coatings were grown directly on stainless steel (SS) substrate and also on sputter deposited titanium nitride interlayer, by hot filament chemical vapour deposition technique. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurement of the coatings confirmed the formation of polycrystalline rhombohedral phases of diamond. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed a jelly type morphology of the coatings. The coating deposited with titanium nitride interlayer showed improved resistance against scratch indentation, lower wear rate and had lower value of coefficient of friction in comparison to the coating deposited directly on SS.     

Microstructure and photocatalytic activity of suspension plasma sprayed TiO2 coatings on steel and glass substrates

In this study, TiO₂ coatings were deposited by suspension plasma spraying (SPS) from a commercial TiO₂ nanoparticle suspension on two different substrates: a standard stainless steel and a Pyrex glass. Coatings were sprayed on both substrates with an F4-MB monocathode torch; a Triplex Pro tricathode torch was also used to spray coatings just on the stainless steel substrates. Spraying distance and cooling were varied.The anatase content in the coatings, determined by XRD, ranged from 32 to 72 wt.%. A significant amount of anatase to rutile transformation was found to occur during cooling. Examination of the microstructure revealed that the coating microstructure was bimodal, involving a non-molten region consisting mainly of anatase nanoparticle agglomerates and a molten region. The glass substrate coatings displayed a segregated phase distribution, particularly when the surface to be coated was cooled. Photocatalytic activity was determined by a methylene blue test.The experimental data fitted well to a first-order kinetic. All the coatings exhibited high photocatalytic activity in comparison with that of a commercial sol–gel coating. However, unlike much of the previous research, photocatalytic activity did not correlate with the anatase content determined by XRD.     

Production of Annealed Cold-Sprayed 316L Stainless Steel Coatings for Biomedical Applications and Their in-vitro Corrosion Response

316L powders were successfully deposited onto Al5052 aluminium substrates by cold spray method. Annealing was treated on the coated samples at 250–1000°C temperatures under Ar atmosphere. The in vitro performances of the coatings have been compared with using electrochemical corrosion test technique in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at body temperature (37°C). A scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used for microstructural characterization and phases identifications of the coatings, respectively. The results were shown that there are high adhesions at particle and substrate interfaces and between the particles deposited as well. Also, the increasing annealing temperature increases corrosion resistance of the cold sprayed 316L stainless steel coatings. The corrosion susceptibility of the coating annealed at 1000°C was similar that of standard 316L stainless steel implant material in Ringer’s solution. The microstructural observations revealed that corrosion starts between the inter-splat powders and continues throughout the surface not in-depth.     

TiAlN涂层的热残余应力分析

采用有限元方法分析氮铝钛涂层的残余热应力,研究不同的基体及过渡层对残余热应力分布的影响。结果表明：当基体为硬质合金时,涂层内以拉应力为主,而基体为不锈钢时,涂层内以压应力为主;增加过渡层可以使涂层内的残余应力减少40%以上;硬质合金基体中涂层的拉应力随基体钴含量和涂层厚度的增加而减少;无过渡层时,不锈钢基体存在明显的塑性约束区,有过渡层时,随着界面应力的减少,塑性约束区明显减小或消失。因此,通过不同的涂层和基体搭配可以改善应力场,同时增加过渡层可以缓和界面应力和增强界面结合力。     

微束等离子喷涂NiCrBSi涂层

采用微束等离子喷涂方法在St37低碳钢上制备了NiCrBSi涂层.研究了基材温度、等离子气体流量、喷涂距离和电流强度等工艺参数对涂层组织结构和性能的影响.采用光学显微镜观察涂层的组织结构,用Perthometers M4P 150测定涂层的表面粗糙度,以及用LECO TC316气体抽提仪检测涂层的氧含量.结果表明,在试验条件下,喷涂参数对涂层组织和性能产生较大的影响.随着电流和基材温度的增加涂层的粗糙度降低,涂层的氧含量随着基材温度和喷涂距离的增加而增加.大多数涂层的显微硬度大于600 HV0.2.尽管粒子速度较低,涂层的平均结合强度仍然大于50 MPa.     

Effect of substrate on the 3 body abrasion wear of HVOF WC-17 wt.% Co coatings

WC-17 wt.% Co coatings were deposited using high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying onto four different substrate materials, namely aluminium, brass, 304 stainless steel and super-invar. These substrates have different coefficients of thermal expansion which have been shown to influence the final coating microstructural properties. The abrasive wear properties of the coatings were characterised using an ASTM-G65 three body abrasive wear machine with silica sand as the abrasive. The highest mass loss was recorded for the coating on the aluminium substrate whilst the coated 304 stainless steel showed the lowest mass loss. The coatings on brass and super invar experienced similar mass losses. SEM studies of the worn surfaces showed preferential removal of the Co binder phase as well as cracking and rounding of the carbide grains. The differences in wear behaviour may be attributed to the presence of residual stresses where the highest compressive residual stress led to the highest wear rate. The coatings deposited onto brass showed compressive stresses whilst those deposited onto super-invar had tensile stresses, yet these two coatings had similar wear rates. Thus further study is required to provide conclusive evidence of the role of residual stresses on the abrasion resistance of these coatings.     

种植体用钛涂层不锈钢的研究

本研究采用低压等离子喷涂工艺，在317L不锈钢基体上喷涂了钛涂层，制备出钛涂层的种植体。通过动物的植入实验，研究了这种种植体的生物相容性；并综合利用扫描电镜、电子探针、X射线衍射仪等分析仪器对涂层的微观结构、涂层—基体界面成分分布等进行了研究；同时也对涂层种植体的电化学性能进行了研究。结果表明，喷涂过程对不锈钢基体本身的力学性能影响很小；钛涂层结合良好，其与骨组织的生物相容性能优于未涂钛涂层的。     

Influence of Plasma Spray Parameters on the Microstructure and Property of ZrO2-7 wt%Y2O3 Coating

The plasma sprayed ZrO2-7 wt%Y2O3(7YSZ)coating has been widely applied in aircraft engine as a thermal barrier coating.In this study,the duplex TBC system(MCrAlY+7YSZ)were deposited onto 304 stainless steel substrate by APS.Four principal spraying parameters during the deposition of 7YSZ coating were optimized by using orthogonal experimental design,including the stand-off distance,plasma power,preheating temperature and powder feeding rate.Their influences on the coating’s microstructure,adhesion and its mechanical properties were studied and the optimized parameters were finally obtained.The results showed that the dependence of the spraying parameters on the properties of 7YSZ coating is highly correlated to the melting condition of the in-flight particles.     

Effect of substrate temperature on adhesion strength of plasma-sprayed nickel coatings

We plasma-sprayed nickel coatings on stainless steel and cobalt alloy coupons heated to temperatures ranging from room temperature to 650 °C. Temperatures, velocities, and sizes of spray particles were recorded while in-flight and held constant during experiments. We measured coating adhesion strength and porosity, photographed coating microstructure, and determined thickness and composition of surface oxide layers on heated substrates. Coating adhesion strength on stainless steel coupons increased from 10–74 MPa when substrate temperatures were raised from 25–650 °C. Coating porosity was lower on high-temperature surfaces. Surface oxide layers grew thicker when substrates were heated, but oxidation alone could not account for the increase in coating adhesion strength. When a coupon was heated to 650 °C and allowed to cool before plasma-spraying, its coating adhesion strength was much less than that of a coating deposited on a surface maintained at 650 °C. Cobalt alloy coupons, which oxidize much less than stainless steel when heated, also showed improved coating adhesion when heated. Heating the substrate removes surface moisture and other volatile contaminants, delays solidification of droplets so that they can better penetrate surface cavities, and promotes diffusion between the coating and substrate. All of these mechanisms enhance coating adhesion.     

Improvement of a-C:H film adhesion by intermediate layers and sputter cleaning procedures on stainless steel, alumina and cemented carbide

The adhesion of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films deposited in a radio frequency (r.f.) plasma discharge on stainless steel, alumina and cemented carbide with different intermediate layers (Ni, Ti and TiC) and sputter cleaning procedures was studied. The composition of the carbon films and the intermediate layers as well as the interface between the coating and the substrate was determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The adhesion experiments were carried out using a scratch tester. Tested specimens were also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal the morphology of the coatings and the scratches.

Without any intermediate layer, the a-C:H coatings generally had insufficient adhesion to the substrate materials studied. For stainless steel and cemented carbide substrates, the TiC intermediate layer and, for alumina substrates, the titanium intermediate layer gave the best adhesion values evaluated by the scratch test. Also, the sputter cleaning of the substrates prior to deposition was necessary for sufficient adhesion of the coating. The intermediate layers also change the failure mode of the coating in the scratch test in some cases.