Microstructure Characterization of the FeAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>-Based Nanostructured Composite Coating Synthesized by Plasma Spraying Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Al Powders

The microstructure of the coating prepared by reactive plasma spraying Fe₂O₃/Al composite powders was characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the coating exhibited nanostructured microstructure which consisted of FeAl₂O₄, Fe or Fe solid solution, Al₂O₃ and a little FeAl. In the composite coating, spherical Fe particles (tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers) were distributed uniformly within the equiaxed and columnar nanograins FeAl₂O₄ matrix. There were two kinds of Al₂O₃ phases present in the composite coating. One kind was nano-sized Al₂O₃ particles uniformly dispersed within the matrix, forming eutectic structure of (FeAl₂O₄ + γ-Al₂O₃); the other was 1-1.5 μm Al₂O₃ particles embedded individually within the matrix. The composite coating had higher toughness than the conventional microstructured Al₂O₃ coating.     

In situ nanostructured ceramic matrix composite coating prepared by reactive plasma spraying micro-sized Al-Fe2O3 composite powders

In situ nanostructured ceramic matrix composite coating was prepared by reactive plasma spraying micro-sized Al-Fe₂O₃ composite powders. The microstructure of the composite coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The results indicated that the composite coating exhibited dense and crack-free microstructure with a number of spherical α-Fe and γ-Al₂O₃ nano-grains embedded within equiaxed and columnar FeAl₂O₄ nano-grains matrix. The composite coating showed markedly higher toughness and wear resistance than the conventional Al₂O₃ coating.     

纳米Al_2O_3对等离子喷涂ZrC-ZrSi_2复合涂层结构与性能的影响

大气等离子喷涂ZrC-ZrSi_2陶瓷涂层的孔隙率高,提高等离子喷涂ZrC-ZrSi_2陶瓷涂层的致密度成为亟待解决的问题。在TC4钛合金表面采用大气等离子喷涂ZrC-ZrSi_2复合粉和ZrC-ZrSi_2-Al_2O_3复合粉分别制备两种复合涂层。研究纳米Al_2O_3对等离子喷涂ZrC-ZrSi_2复合涂层组织结构与性能的影响。结果表明,添加了Al_2O_3的ZrC-ZrSi_2复合涂层的组织结构更为致密,相较于ZrC-ZrSi_2复合涂层具有更优异的力学性能。熔点相对较低的Al_2O_3能够在喷涂焰流中先熔化,熔融态的Al_2O_3能够填充在ZrC-ZrSi_2复合涂层的孔洞处,提高复合涂层的致密度,改善涂层的力学性能。研究成果可为提高大气等离子喷涂制备含高熔点组分复合涂层的致密度提供指导。     

Structural, Mechanical and Erosion Properties of Yttrium Oxide Coatings by Axial Suspension Plasma Spraying for Electronics Applications

Yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) coatings have been prepared by axial suspension plasma spraying with fine powders. It is clarified that the coatings have high hardness, low porosity, high erosion resistance against CF₄ -containing plasma and retention of smooth eroded surface. This suggests that the axial suspension plasma spraying of Y₂O₃ is applicable to fabricating equipment for electronic devices, such as dry etching. Surface morphologies of the slurry coatings with splats are similar to conventional plasma-sprayed Y₂O₃ coatings, identified from microstructural analysis. Dense coating structures with no lamellar boundaries have been seen, which is apparently different from the conventional coatings. It has also been found that crystal structure of the suspension coatings mainly composed of metastable monoclinic phase, whereas the powders and the conventional plasma spray coatings have stable cubic phase. Mechanism of coating formation by plasma spraying with fine powder slurries is discussed based on the results.     

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Microhardness of Nanostructural Al2O3 Coatings

Nanostructural Al₂O₃ coatings were formed on a steel substrate surface using a multichamber detonation sprayer. The Al₂O₃ coatings were characterized by a dense microstructure with porosity below 1% and hardness of 1300 ± 25 HV_0.3. The transition layer between the coating and substrate was up to 15 μm thick, containing Fe-Al-type intermetallic compounds (FeAl₃, Fe₂Al₅). Postdeposition heat treatment of the samples at 850 °C for 3 h was carried out in air and argon environments. The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and microhardness of the Al₂O₃ coatings was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, x-ray phase analysis, and Vickers hardness testing. A positive impact of postcoating heat treatment on the coating microstructure and microhardness was observed. Heat treatment resulted in an increase in the coating hardness from 1300, to 1350 ± 25 HV_0.3 and 1600 ± 25 HV_0.3 after annealing in air and argon, respectively. Heat treatment in argon led to a more significant increase in the α-Al₂O₃ phase from 47 to 81%.     

Microstructure,formation mechanism and properties of plasma-sprayed Cr7C3—CrSi2—Al2O3 coatings

The Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared by plasma spraying Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ and Al—Cr₂O₃—SiC composite powders, respectively. The microstructure, formation mechanism and properties of the two Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ composite coatings obtained by plasma spraying were investigated, and the reaction mechanism of the Al—Cr₂O₃—SiC system was explored. The results show that the coating obtained by plasma spraying Al—Cr₂O₃—SiC composite powders had thinner lamella and more tortuous interlayer interface, and the in-situ synthesized Cr₇C₃, CrSi₂ and Al₂O₃ in the coating were all nano-crystallines. Compared with the Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ coating prepared by plasma spraying Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ composite powders, the plasma-sprayed Cr₇C₃—CrSi₂—Al₂O₃ coating obtained from Al—Cr₂O₃—SiC composite powders had higher density, higher microhardness (increased by 20%), better fracture toughness and lower wear rate (reduced by 28%).     

Comparison of 10 μm and 20 nm Al-Al2O3 Metal Matrix Composite Coatings Fabricated by Low-Pressure Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying

Cold-gas dynamic spraying (“cold spraying”) was used to deposit aluminum-alumina (Al-Al₂O₃) metal-matrix composite (MMC) coatings onto 6061 Al alloy. The powders consisted of ?45 μm commercially pure Al that was admixed with either 10 μm or agglomerated 20 nm Al₂O₃ in weight fractions of 25, 50, 75, 90, and 95 wt.%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers microhardness testing, and image analysis were conducted to determine the microstructure, properties, and the volume fractions of reinforcing particles in the coatings, which was then converted to weight fractions. As the weight fraction of the Al₂O₃ in the coatings increased, the hardness values of the MMC coatings increased. A maximum hardness of 96 ± 10 HV_0.2 was observed for the MMC coating that contained the agglomerated 20 nm Al₂O₃ particles, while a maximum hardness of 85 ± 24 HV_0.2 was observed for the coatings with the 10 μm Al₂O₃ particles. The slight increase in hardness of the coating containing the agglomerated 20 nm Al₂O₃ particles occurred in a coating of Al₂O₃ content that was lower than that in the coating that contained the 10 μm reinforcing Al₂O₃ particles. The increased hardness of the MMC coatings that contained the agglomerated 20 nm Al₂O₃ particles and at lower reinforcing particle content was attributed to the increased spreading of the nanoagglomerated particles in the coating, which increased load-sharing and reinforcement capability of the particles. These results suggest that the use of nanoagglomerated, reinforcing hard-phase particles in cold-sprayed MMC coatings may be a more efficient alternative to the use of conventional micronsized reinforcing particles.     

Preparation and characterization of nanostructured Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-13wt.%TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> ceramic coatings by plasma spraying

Nanostructured and conventional Al₂O₃-13wt.%TiO₂ ceramic coatings were prepared by plasma spraying with nanostructured agglomerated and conventional powders, respectively. The microstructure and microhardness of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and microhardness measurement. Meanwhile, the friction and wear behaviors were analyzed and compared using a ball-on-disk tribometer. The results show that the conventional coating has lamellar stacking characteristic and has some pores. However, the nanostructured coating shows a bimodal microstructure, which is composed of both fully melted regions and partially melted regions. According to the microstructural difference, the partially melted regions can be divided into liquid-phase sintered regions (a three-dimensional net or skeleton-like structure: Al₂O₃-rich submicron particles embedded in the TiO₂-rich matrix) and solid-phase sintered regions (remained nanoparticles). The microstructural characteristics of the liquid-phase sintered region are formed due to the selective melting of TiO₂ nanoparticles during plasma spraying. On the other hand, the TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles of the solid-phase sintered regions are all unmelted during plasma spraying. Due to the existence of nanostructured microstructures, the nanostructured coating has a higher microhardness, a lower friction coefficient, and a better wear resistance than the conventional coating.     

Nanocomposite Fe-Al Intermetallic Coating Obtained by Gas Detonation Spraying of Milled Self-Decomposing Powder

The nanocomposite structure of Fe-Al intermetallic coating, created in situ during gas detonation spraying (GDS) of as-milled self-decomposing powder and containing disordered 8 nm FeAl nanocrystals, was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), and x-ray diffraction methods. It is found that the Fe-Al coating is characterized by a sublayer morphology consisting of flattened and partially melted splats containing a wide Al range from about 26 to 52 at.%, as well as Al₂O₃ oxides, created in situ at the internal interfaces of splats during the GDS process. The complex oxide films, identified as amorphous Al₂O₃, which are formed in the nanocrystalline Fe-Al matrix of the GDS coating behave like a composite reinforcement in the intermetallic Fe-Al coating. The combined presence of nanosized subgrains in the Fe-Al matrix and the Al₂O₃ nanoceramic dispersoids significantly increases the microhardness of the coating.     

High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior of Nano-structured CoNiCrAlY–YSZ Coatings Produced by HVOF Thermal Spray Technique

In this study the effects of adding yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) reinforcement by mechanical milling method on the oxidation resistance of CoNiCrAlY coatings were investigated. For this purpose 0, 5, 10 and 15% YSZ were mixed with the commercial CoNiCrAlY powder and mechanically milled for 24 h in argon atmosphere. The high-velocity oxygen-fuel method was used for deposition of composite and commercial powders on Inconel 617 substrate. Both commercial and nano-structured coatings were oxidized at 1000 °C for 100 h. Scanning electron microscopy together with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were used for analyzing the oxide scales formed on the coatings surface after oxidation process. The results showed that the porosity of nano-structured coatings was higher than that of the commercial coating, which was related to an undesirable morphology of the feedstock powders. The relatively high porosity of the nano-structured coatings caused the diffusion rate of oxygen into the coatings to be accelerated. On the other hand, a high Al supply due to a large amount of grain boundaries in nano-structured coatings facilitated the formation of an Al₂O₃ layer on coating’s surface. The undesirable oxidation of splats in nano-structured coatings during spraying resulted in an increased oxidation rate of the coatings.     

Phase and Microstructure Evolution and Toughening Mechanism of a Hierarchical Architectured Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Coating under High Temperature

In recent years, numerous techniques have been developed to mimic nacre-like hierarchical architectures in order to improve the damage tolerance of materials. We present herein a simple strategy to fabricate such a hierarchical architectured Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ composite coating via atmospheric plasma spraying. The evolution of the phase and microstructure of the Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ composite coating were characterized under conditions of high-temperature exposure in air at 800-1350 °C. The hardness and porosity of several typical coatings were determined. In situ formation of dense hierarchical architectured Al₂O₃–YAG composite coating with improved hardness was achieved after heat treatment at 1350 °C. Compared with Al₂O₃ coating, elevated toughness was found for the hierarchical architectured Al₂O₃–YAG composite coating, which can be ascribed to the distribution of YAG phase that contributed to crack termination and deflection, and microbridging. After thermal aging treatment at 1350 °C, the hierarchical architectured Al₂O₃–YAG composite coating was quite stable after 100 h of thermal exposure. Furthermore, the Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ composite coating exhibited superior sintering resistance compared with the Al₂O₃ coating.     

铝镁合金等离子喷涂复相陶瓷涂层微观组织

为解决铝镁合金表面耐磨性差的问题,利用机械球磨法和PVA造粒技术制备复合陶瓷粉末,采用等离子喷涂技术在XGFH-3铝镁合金表面制备了反应复相陶瓷涂层,利用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)分析了喷涂复合粉末和复相陶瓷涂层的形貌及组成.结果表明,复合粉末随着球磨时间的延长明显趋于扁平化和均匀化,并且生成了Al₃Ti,Ni₄Ti₃等新相.而在喷涂过程中Al₃Ti和Ni₄Ti₃中间相又会消失,涂层中出现了MgAl₂O₄和Ti₅Si₃等新相,基体和涂层之间有元素扩散,这使得涂层有良好的结合强度.     

Improvement of wear resistance of plasma-sprayed molybdenum blend coatings

The wear resistance of plasma sprayed molybdenum blend coatings applicable to synchronizer rings or piston rings was investigated in this study. Four spray powders, one of which was pure molybdenum and the others blended powders of bronze and aluminum-silicon alloy powders mixed with molybdenum powders, were sprayed on a low-carbon steel substrate by atmospheric plasma spraying. Microstructural analysis of the coatings showed that the phases formed during spraying were relatively homogeneously distributed in the molybdenum matrix. The wear test results revealed that the wear rate of all the coatings increased with increasing wear load and that the blended coatings exhibited better wear resistance than the pure molybdenum coating, although the hardness was lower. In the pure molybdenum coatings, splats were readily fractured, or cracks were initiated between splats under high wear loads, thereby leading to the decrease in wear resistance. On the other hand, the molybdenum coating blended with bronze and aluminum-silicon alloy powders exhibited excellent wear resistance because hard phases such as CuAl₂ and Cu₉Al₄ formed inside the coating.     

Preparation and spray drying of Al2O3-TiO2 nanoparticle suspensions to obtain nanostructured coatings by APS

Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings were deposited on austenitic stainless steel coupons from nanostructured powders by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Commercial suspensions of nanosized Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ particles were used as starting materials. Mixtures of these suspensions and of more concentrated suspensions of Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ were then agglomerated into plasma sprayable feedstock. Agglomeration was performed by spray drying, followed by consolidation thermal treatment.These powders were successfully deposited, yielding coatings that were well bonded to the substrates. The coating microstructure thus consisted of semi-molten feedstock agglomerates surrounded by fully molten particles that acted as binders. Agglomerates from suspensions with higher solids contents yielded coatings with lower porosity and fewer semi-molten areas.     

Dry sliding wear behavior of ceramic-metal composite coatings prepared by plasma spraying of self-reacting powders

Ceramic-metal composite (CMC) coatings were deposited on the surface of Fe-0.14–0.22 wt.% C steel by plasma spraying of self-reacting Fe₂O₃−Al composite powders. The dry sliding friction and wear character of the CMC coatings are investigated in this paper. The wear resistance of the CMC coatings was significantly better than that of Al₂O₃ coatings under the same sliding wear conditions. The tough metal, which is dispersed in the ceramic matrix, obviously improved the toughness of the CMC coatings. Wear mechanisms of the CMC coatings were identified as a combination of abrasive and adhesive wear.     

Tribological Behavior of Plasma-Sprayed Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-20 wt.%TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Coating

Al₂O₃-20 wt.% TiO₂ ceramic coatings were deposited on the surface of Grade D steel by plasma spraying of commercially available powders. The phases and the microstructures of the coatings were investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The Al₂O₃-20 wt.% TiO₂ composite coating exhibited a typical inter-lamellar structure consisting of the γ-Al₂O₃ and the Al₂TiO₅ phases. The dry sliding wear behavior of the coating was examined at 20 °C using a ball-on-disk wear tester. The plasma-sprayed coating showed a low wear rate (~4.5 × 10^?6 mm³ N^?1 m^?1), which was <2% of that of the matrix (~283.3 × 10^?6 mm³ N^?1 m^?1), under a load of 15 N. In addition, the tribological behavior of the plasma-sprayed coating was analyzed by examining the microstructure after the wear tests. It was found that delamination of the Al₂TiO₅ phase was the main cause of the wear during the sliding wear tests. A suitable model was used to simulate the wear mechanism of the coating.     

Improved interfacial mechanical properties of Al2O3-13wt%TiO2 plasma-sprayed coatings derived from nanocrystalline powders

The interfacial toughness of two types of Al₂O₃-13wt%TiO₂ plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings on steel substrates—“conventional” and “nano”—has been measured using the Rockwell indentation method. The interfacial toughness of the “conventional” coating and the “nano” coating is found to be 22 and 45 J.m⁻², respectively. The “conventional” coating, which was prepared using a fused feedstock powder available commercially, has a microstructure consisting primarily of fully-molten (FM) and solidified “splats”. The feedstock powder for the “nano” coating comprised reconstituted agglomerates of nanocrystalline Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ powders. The microstructure of the “nano” coating, as characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques, consists of regions of FM “splats” interspersed with partially-molten (PM) rounded microstructural features. The substructure in these PM features (20–50 μm diameter) consists of α-Al₂O₃ grains (0.5–1 μm) surrounded by a TiO₂-rich amorphous phase. The FM/steel interfaces in both the “conventional” and the “nano” coatings are found to be cracked (before mechanical testing), whereas the PM/steel interfaces in the “nano” coating are found to be adherent. It is believed that the unique bimodal microstructure, together with the presence of the TiO₂-rich amorphous phase at the PM/steel interface, is responsible for the significantly improved interfacial toughness of the “nano” coating. The key differences in the failure modes in the two types coatings are also discussed, with reference to a simple model.     

Enhancement of Functional Ceramic Coating Performance by Gas Tunnel Type Plasma Spraying

A high-precision plasma system has been pursued for advanced thermal processing. The gas tunnel type plasma jet device developed by the author exhibits high energy density and also high efficiency. Among its various applications is the plasma spraying of ceramics such as Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂. The performance of these ceramic coatings is superior to conventional ones. Properties such as the mechanical and chemical properties of the zirconia coatings were reported in previous studies. In this study, the enhancement of the performance of functional ceramic coatings by the gas tunnel type plasma spraying method was carried out using different powders. Results show that the alumina/zirconia composite system exhibited improvements of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The alumina/zirconia composite coating has the potential for use as a high functionally graded thermal barrier coating. Another application of the gas tunnel type plasma is for surface modification of metals. As an example, TiN films were formed in 5 s and, thick TiN coatings were easily obtained by gas tunnel type plasma reactive spraying.     

TiB2陶瓷颗粒增强的金属基复合涂层

采用电弧喷涂制备TiB2陶瓷颗粒增强的NiCr-TiB2,NiCr-TiB2/Al2O3和304L-TiB2及304L-TiB2/Al2O3四种金属基复合涂层.采用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)结合透射电子显微镜(TEM)观察和详细分析了TiB2陶瓷颗粒增强复合涂层的显微组织及微观结构,探讨涂层的形成机理.结果表...     

反应等离子喷涂AlNbO4-Al2O3-NbOx复合涂层的研究

目的研究等离子喷涂Al-Nb_2O_5铝热体系制备的AlNbO_4-Al_2O_3-NbO_x复合涂层的组织、力学性能和摩擦磨损性能。方法以Nb_2O_5粉和Al粉为原料,通过喷雾造粒制备复合粉,采用等离子喷涂技术喷涂Al-Nb_2O_5复合粉体,利用复合粉的自反应制备出含有AlNbO_4、Al_2O_3和NbO_x的复合陶瓷涂层。利用扫描电镜、EDS和XRD检测和分析复合涂层的组织和物相。用显微硬度计测定复合涂层的硬度,并用硬度压痕法测量裂纹扩展能(Gc)。用销盘式磨损试验机测定涂层在无润滑条件下的摩擦磨损性能。结果 XRD分析可知,复合涂层由AlNbO_4、Al_2O_3和NbO_x相组成,SEM显示涂层为交替分布的层片状组织。在28~32 k W功率范围内,随着喷涂功率的升高,涂层的硬度增加,喷涂功率为32 k W时,涂层硬度最高,为912HV0.1。随着喷涂功率的升高,涂层的裂纹扩展能先升高后降低,喷涂功率为30 k W时,涂层的裂纹扩展能最大,为14.14J/m2。摩擦系数随功率的升高先降低后保持不变,28 k W时,涂层的摩擦系数为0.7~0.8,30 k W和32 k W时,涂层的摩擦系数为0.5~0.6。磨损量随喷涂功率的增加先降低后升高,喷涂功率为30 k W时,涂层的磨损量最小。磨损后的试样进行SEM检测发现有明显的犁沟、凹槽和剥落。结论涂层具有由AlNbO_4、Al_2O_3和NbO_x相组成的交替分布的多相层片状组织。喷涂功率为30 k W时,复合涂层的性能最好。复合涂层的主要磨损机制为磨粒磨损和疲劳磨损。