Effect of Heat Treatment Temperature on Performance of Plasma-Sprayed Apatite-Lanthanum Silicate Coatings as Electrolytes for IT-SOFC

Magnesium-doped lanthanum silicate with apatite-type structure was prepared by solid state sintering, as a solid electrolyte for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. The electrolyte layers were fabricated by air plasma spraying, followed by post heat treatments, and their microstructures and phase composition were characterized by SEM and XRD. The gas permeation of electrolyte layers was measured by a specific instrument with pure H₂ and O₂ at room temperature. It is shown that amorphous and trace phases exist in as-sprayed electrolyte layer, and then disappear after a post heat treatment in air furnace at temperature up to 1000?°C. The permeability can be decreased by the heat treatment, especially after 4?h at 1000?°C.     

Systematic Investigation on the Influence of Spray Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed YSZ Coatings

In the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) process, micro-sized ceramic powder is injected into a thermal plasma where it is rapidly heated and propelled toward the substrate. The coating formation is characterized by the subsequent impingement of a large number of more or less molten particles forming the so-called splats and eventually the coating. In this study, a systematic investigation on the influence of selected spray parameters on the coating microstructure and the coating properties was conducted. The investigation thereby comprised the coating porosity, the elastic modulus, and the residual stress evolution within the coating. The melting status of the particles at the impingement on the substrate in combination with the substrate surface condition is crucial for the coating formation. Single splats were collected on mirror-polished substrates for selected spray conditions and evaluated by identifying different types of splats (ideal, distorted, weakly bonded, and partially molten) and their relative fractions. In a previous study, these splat types were evaluated in terms of their effect on the above-mentioned coating properties. The particle melting status, which serves as a measure for the particle spreading behavior, was determined by in-flight particle temperature measurements and correlated to the coating properties. It was found that the gun power and the spray distance have a strong effect on the investigated coating properties, whereas the feed rate and the cooling show minor influence.     

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.     

Effect of Thermal Aging on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Plasma-Sprayed Samarium Zirconate Coatings

The rare-earth zirconates with the general formula of Ln₂Zr₂O₇ (Ln = rare-earth elements) having considerable low thermal conductivity and exhibiting good phase stability at high temperature have attracted particular interest in thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. The Sm₂Zr₂O₇ coatings were deposited by plasma spraying, and the effect of thermal aging on their microstructure and mechanical properties was examined. The lamellar structure gradually disappeared with the temperature increasing for thermal aging. The evaluation by image analysis revealed that the amount of microcrack in coatings decreased with increasing aging temperature because of the increase in aspect ratio caused by microcrack healing, while no obvious change was observed in the spherical porosity. The as-sprayed Sm₂Zr₂O₇ coating exhibited low microhardness and elastic modulus, which increased with rise in aging temperature because of the microstructure reconfiguration; in addition, the ratio of microhardness to elastic modulus decreased with aging temperature increase, indicating a promotion in plastic property.     

Life Prediction of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings Using Temperature-Dependent Model Parameters

The failure analysis and life prediction of atmospheric plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (APS-TBCs) were carried out for a thermal cyclic process. A residual stress model for the top coat of APS-TBC was proposed and then applied to life prediction. This residual stress model shows an inversion characteristic versus thickness of thermally grown oxide. The capability of the life model was demonstrated using temperature-dependent model parameters. Using existing life data, a comparison of fitting approaches of life model parameters was performed. A larger discrepancy was found for the life predicted using linearized fitting parameters versus temperature compared to those using non-linear fitting parameters. A method for integrating the residual stress was proposed by using the critical time of stress inversion. The role of the residual stresses distributed at each individual coating layer was explored and their interplay on the coating’s delamination was analyzed.     

Column Formation in Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Coatings and Resultant Thermal Properties

The suspension plasma spray (SPS) process was used to produce coatings from yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders with median diameters of 15 μm and 80 nm. The powder-ethanol suspensions made with 15-μm diameter YSZ particles formed coatings with microstructures typical of the air plasma spray (APS) process, while suspensions made with 80-nm diameter YSZ powder yielded a coarse columnar microstructure not observed in APS coatings. To explain the formation mechanisms of these different microstructures, a hypothesis is presented which relates the dependence of YSZ droplet flight paths on droplet diameter to variations in deposition behavior. The thermal conductivity (k _th) of columnar SPS coatings was measured as a function of temperature in the as-sprayed condition and after a 50 h, 1200 °C heat treatment. Coatings produced from suspensions containing 80 nm YSZ particles at powder concentrations of 2, 8, and 11 wt.% exhibited significantly different k _th values. These differences are connected to microstructural variations between the SPS coatings produced by the three suspension formulations. Heat treatment increased the k _th of the coatings generated from suspensions containing 2 and 11 wt.% of 80 nm YSZ powder, but this k _th increase was less than has been observed in APS coatings.     

Microstructure and Electrical Conductivity of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed LSM/YSZ Composite Cathode Materials

Yttria stabilized zirconia and lanthanum strontium manganate (YSZ/LSM) have been employed to fabricate the composite cathode layer for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In the present study, the YSZ/LSM composite coating was deposited by atmospheric plasma spray (APS) using the mechanical blending LSM and YSZ with ratios of 50:50, 40:60, and 20:80 wt.%. The electrical conductivity of the composite coating was measured by the means of direct current (DC) measurement in the temperature range of 500-900 °C. The electrical conductivity of the YSZ-50%LSM coating ranged from 2.17 to 3.60 S/cm along the direction parallel to the coating surface at the temperature range. For the same specimen, the electrical conductivity perpendicular to the plane is less than one-tenth of that in the plane. The anisotropy of the electrical conductivity is attributed to the phases of different properties in the composite coating and the APS coating structure characteristics. The results also showed that the electrical conduction of the composite was strongly influenced by the YSZ content. This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference and has been expanded from the original presentation. It is simultaneously published in Global Coating Solutions, Proceedings of the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference, Beijing, China, May 14-16, 2007, Basil R. Marple, Margaret M. Hyland, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Chang-Jiu Li, Rogerio S. Lima, and Ghislain Montavon, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2007.     

Electrical Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed La10(SiO4)6O3 Electrolyte Coatings

In this present work, La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ as a promising electrolyte candidate for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) has been synthesized and its electrical property was investigated as a function of temperature. In order to improve the density and oxide ion conductivity of La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃, the feedstock powder was prepared by sintering the oxide mixture powders at proper sintering temperatures and times. The hexagonal apatite-type ceramic coatings with a typical composition of La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) with different hydrogen flow rates. With increasing hydrogen flow rate oxide ion conductivity successively decreases. The highest ionic conductivity of the dense composite electrolyte coatings reaches a value of 2.4 mS/cm at 900 °C in air, which is comparable to other apatite-type lanthanum silicate (ATLS) conductors.     

Effects of Boron Carbide Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed NiCoCrAlY/Al2O3-B4C Composite Coatings

NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃ and NiCoCrAlY/B₄C composite powders were prepared with hydrogen reduction and solid state alloying process. NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coatings with different contents of B₄C were prepared by atmospheric plasma spray technology. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and tribological properties of the composite coatings with different B₄C contents were systematically investigated. The results show that the microhardness of the composite coatings increases, while the tensile strength of the composite coatings decreases, with the increase of B₄C contents. The wear volume of the composite coatings decreases from room temperature to 800 °C with the increase of B₄C contents. Abrasion wear is the main wear mechanism of the NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coating from room temperature to 800 °C.     

Gas Permeability of Porous Plasma-Sprayed Coatings

For different applications, such as solid oxide fuel cells, there is an interest in understanding the relationship between the microstructure and the gas permeability of plasma-sprayed coatings. Nevertheless, plasma spraying processes allow to elaborate coatings with singular microstructures, depending strongly on the initial material and plasma operating conditions. And so, the evolution of permeability is not directly linked to the porosity. In this work, coatings were manufactured using different initial feedstock and spray parameters to obtain various microporous structures. Measurements of their permeation with the pressure drop method and their open porosity just as the observation of the morphology and the structure by optical microscopy were achieved. The different data show that the evolution of the gas permeability with the open porosity follows the Kozeny-Carman equation. This result correlated with the microstructural observation highlights the relationship between the permeability and the physical properties of porous plasma-sprayed layers.     

Laser Remelting of Plasma-Sprayed Tungsten Coatings

Laser surface melting was applied on plasma-sprayed tungsten coatings, with the aim to eliminate intersplat voids and improve thermal conductivity. A variety of laser parameters was tested and the morphology and melt depth were evaluated. With the most promising conditions, 2D areas were remelted and thermal conductivity was determined. Improvements in conductivity were observed, but the depth of the remelted layer was quite limited under current conditions. Advantages and limitations of this method, as well as possible directions for improvement are discussed.     

Effect of the Structural Scale of Plasma-Sprayed Alumina Coatings on Their Friction Coefficients

The objective of this study is to compare the tribological properties of alumina coatings with two different structural scales, a micrometer-sized one manufactured by atmospheric plasma spraying and a sub-micrometer-sized one manufactured by suspension plasma spraying. Coating architectures were analyzed and their friction coefficients in dry sliding mode measured. Sub-micrometer-sized structured coatings present a lower friction coefficient than micrometer ones, thanks to their higher cohesion and smaller characteristic structural feature sizes.     

Influence of Deposition Temperature on the Splat Bonding and Mechanical Properties of Plasma-Sprayed Tungsten Coatings

The mechanical properties of thermally sprayed metallic coatings are limited by the bonding between splats.In this study,tungsten coatings were deposited at different deposition temperatures by controlling the substrate temperature through shrouded plasma spraying.The dependence of the splat bonding and mechanical properties of W coatings on deposition temperature was investigated.The results showed that the apparent porosity of the coatings decreased from 3.2%to 0.3%with the increase of the deposition temperature.The Young’s modulus of W coating was significantly increased from 128 to 307 GPa as the deposition temperature increased from room temperature to 800°C.The microhardness of the coatings was less influenced by the deposition temperature.It was found that splat bonding across lamellae was formed when the deposition temperature was higher than 600°C compared to the obvious lamellae interface in the coatings deposited at temperatures lower than 600°C.The results evidently revealed that the mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed W coatings could be controlled through the splat bonding by altering deposition temperature.     

Effect of Nd2O3 Additive on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Plasma-Sprayed NiCr-Cr2O3 Composite Coatings

Four types of NiCr-Cr₂O₃ composite coatings doped with different mass fraction of Nd₂O₃ were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying. The microstructure and phase composition of as-sprayed coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, their friction and wear behaviors at 20 and 600 °C under unlubricated condition were evaluated using CSM high temperature tribometer. The results showed that Nd₂O₃ could refine microstructure of NiCr-Cr₂O₃ composite coating and make Cr₂O₃ distribution more uniform in the coating, which leads to the increase of average microhardness. In addition, NiCr-Cr₂O₃ composite coatings doped with Nd₂O₃ had better wear resistance than that without Nd₂O₃ at experimental temperatures. Especially, the coating containing 8 wt.% Nd₂O₃ showed the best wear resistance at 20 and 600 °C, which was attributed to the refined microstructure and improved microhardness. At 20 °C, the wear mechanism of the coating was abrasive wear, brittle fracture and splat detachment. At 600 °C, the wear mechanism was adhesion wear and plastic deformation.     

电学参数对电爆炸喷涂高碳钢涂层性能的影响

在铝合金圆筒内表面进行了相同喷涂能量密度而不同电压与电容组合下电爆炸制备高碳钢涂层的实验.通过对高碳钢丝上的能量加载情况进行分析,并利用扫描电镜、维氏硬度仪等检测手段对涂层进行研究.结果表明:当喷涂能量密度一定时,低电压、高电容组合中用于高碳钢丝爆炸喷涂的能量较多,所制备的涂层平均厚度、表面粗糙度和平均硬度均较小;高电压、低电容组合中用于高碳钢丝爆炸喷涂的能量较少,所制备的涂层平均厚度、表面粗糙度和平均硬度均较大.     

脉冲电流对水玻璃改性的影响

为改进铸造用水玻璃砂的性能,采用脉冲电流的方法对水玻璃进行物理改性。使用自制的脉冲电流改性设备处理普通水玻璃,运用正交试验方法研究了电极材料、脉冲电压、脉冲频率、改性时间等工艺参数对水玻璃改性过程的影响。使用透射电子显微镜观察改性前后水玻璃的胶粒大小及凝膜形态,证明脉冲电流改性具有细化聚硅胶粒、提高凝胶膜质量的作用。经合理工艺改性后的水玻璃,可提高型砂的24 h强度48.5%。     

Plasma-Sprayed Hydroxylapatite-Based Coatings: Chemical,Mechanical, Microstructural,and Biomedical Properties

This contribution discusses salient properties and functions of hydroxylapatite (HA)-based plasma-sprayed coatings, including the effect on biomedical efficacy of coating thickness, phase composition and distribution, amorphicity and crystallinity, porosity and surface roughness, cohesion and adhesion, micro- and nano-structured surface morphology, and residual coating stresses. In addition, it will provide details of the thermal alteration that HA particles undergo in the extremely hot plasma jet that leads to dehydroxylated phases such as oxyhydroxylapatite (OHA) and oxyapatite (OA) as well as thermal decomposition products such as tri-(TCP) and tetracalcium phosphates (TTCP), and quenched phases such as amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP). The contribution will further explain the role of ACP during the in vitro interaction of the as-deposited coatings with simulated body fluid resembling the composition of extracellular fluid (ECF) as well as the in vivo responses of coatings to the ECF and the host tissue, respectively. Finally, it will briefly describe performance profiles required to fulfill biological functions of osteoconductive bioceramic coatings designed to improve osseointegration of hip endoprostheses and dental root implants. In large parts, the content of this contribution is a targeted review of work done by the author and his students and coworkers over the last two decades. In addition, it is considered a stepping stone toward a standard operation procedure aimed at depositing plasma-sprayed bioceramic implant coatings with optimum properties.