Effect of Operating Parameters on a Dual-Stage High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Thermal Spray System

High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray systems are being used to apply coatings to prevent surface degradation. The coatings of temperature sensitive materials such as titanium and copper, which have very low melting points, cannot be applied using a single-stage HVOF system. Therefore, a dual-stage HVOF system has been introduced and modeled computationally. The dual-spray system provides an easy control of particle oxidation by introducing a mixing chamber. In addition to the materials being sprayed, the thermal spray coating quality depends to a large extent on flow behavior of reacting gases and the particle dynamics. The present study investigates the influence of various operating parameters on the performance of a dual-stage thermal spray gun. The objective is to develop a predictive understanding of various parameters. The gas flow field and the free jet are modeled by considering the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy with the turbulence and the equilibrium combustion sub models. The particle phase is decoupled from the gas phase due to very low particle volume fractions. The results demonstrate the advantage of a dual-stage system over a single-stage system especially for the deposition of temperature sensitive materials.     

Mathematical modelling of Inconel 718 particles in HVOF thermal spraying

High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray technology is able to produce very dense coating without over-heating powder particles. The quality of coating is directly related to the particle parameters such as velocity, temperature and state of melting or solidification. In order to obtain this particle data, mathematical models are developed to predict particle dynamic behaviour in a liquid fuelled high velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray gun. The particle transport equations are solved in a Lagrangian manner and coupled with the three-dimensional, chemically reacting, turbulent gas flow. The melting and solidification within particles as a result of heat exchange with the surrounding gas flow is solved numerically. The in-flight particle characteristics of Inconel 718 are studied and the effects of injection parameters on particle behavior are examined. The computational results show that the particles smaller than 10 μm undergo melting and solidification prior to impact while the particle larger than 20 μm never reach liquid state during the process.     

Optimizing HVOF Spray Parameters to Maximize Bonding Strength of WC-CrC-Ni Coatings on AISI 304L Stainless Steel

High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF)-sprayed cermet coatings are extensively used to combat erosion-corrosion in naval applications and in slurry environments. HVOF spray parameters such as oxygen flow rate, fuel flow rate, powder feed rate, carrier gas flow rate, and spray distance have significant influence on coating characteristics like adhesion bond strength and shear strength. This paper presents the use of statistical techniques in particular response surface methodology (RSM), analysis of variance, and regression analysis to develop empirical relationships to predict adhesion bond strength and lap shear bond strength of HVOF-sprayed WC-CrC-Ni coatings. The developed empirical relationships can be effectively used to predict adhesion bond strength and lap shear bond strength of HVOF-sprayed WC-CrC-Ni coatings at 95% confidence level. Response graphs and contour plots were constructed to identify the optimum HVOF spray parameters to attain maximum bond strength in WC-CrC-Ni coatings.     

Analysis and optimization of the HVOF process by combined experimental and numerical approaches

Thermal spraying with the HVOF technology is a well known approach to dense metallic, ceramic and cermets coatings with good mechanical properties. Any attempt for improving HVOF coating properties requires a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that occur during HVOF spraying. Thermal spray processes are not only optimized by empirical testing and by correlation analysis between process parameters and coating properties but also with numerical approaches. Recent attempts to understand the momentum and heat transfer mechanisms between flame and particles, and thus improve the control of the thermokinetic deposition process by analysis of fundamental thermophysical and fluid mechanical processes, have led to computational modeling of the spraying process and verification of simulation results by in-flight particle analysis.This paper focuses on modeling (tracking) of the particle properties during HVOF spraying using alumina powder. The particle properties are sensitive to a large number of process parameters (e.g., gas temperature, gas expansion velocity, pressure, spraying distance, spray powder particle diameter, nozzle geometry, etc.). Variation of the operating parameters of the HVOF process (gas flow rates, stoichiometric oxy/fuel ratio, nozzle design, etc.) is performed during modeling and simulation. The SprayWatch® system for particle in-flight measurement is used for verification of the numerical analysis result.     

A design of experiment study of plasma-sprayed alumina-titania coatings

This article presents an experimental study of the plasma spraying of alumina- titania powder. This powder system is being used to fabricate heater tubes that emulate nuclear fuel tubes for use in thermal-hydraulic testing. Coating experiments were conducted using a Taguchi fractional- factorial design parametric study. Operating parameters were varied around the typical spray parameters in a systematic design of experiments to display the range of plasma processing conditions and their effect on the resultant coating. The coatings were characterized by hardness and electrical tests, image analysis, and optical metallography. Coating qualities are discussed with respect to dielectric strength, hardness, porosity, surface roughness, deposition efficiency, and microstructure. The attributes of the coatings are correlated with the changes in operating parameters.     

结晶器铜板超音速火焰喷涂工艺参数对涂层结合强度的影响

文中采用超音速火焰喷涂（HVOF）在结晶器铜板表面喷涂了CoNiCrAlY涂层,研究了喷涂主要工艺参数对涂层结合强度的影响。结果表明：涂层的结合强度随着燃油流量的增大而显著增大,随着氧气流量与喷涂距离的增加结合强度均出现先增加后下降趋势,喷砂后较未喷砂结合强度大大提高。选择合适的粉末形状与粒径对于获得高质量的涂层较为重要。     

Parameter study of HP/HVOF deposited WC-Co coatings

The deposition parameters of WC-17% Co coatings produced using the JP-5000 liquid-fuel HP/HVOF system (Eutectic TAFA) were investigated with the initial purpose of parameter improvement and optimization. The coating microstructures, porosities, phase compositions, and abrasion resistance were characterized. Preliminary work using the Taguchi statistical experimental design method aimed at optimizing the spray parameters in terms of the microstructure and phase composition was unsuccessful. The variations in the measured properties were too small to be correlated with the spray parameters. Subsequent experiments showed this was primarily due to the fact that the properties, particularly the abrasion resistance, of the WC-Co coatings were not primarily influenced by variations in the spray parameters, but were more dependent on the powder composition, particle size range, and manufacturing route. Hence, the application of Taguchi techniques would have been more effective over a much wider parameter space than was originally used. This result is valuable because it suggests that this process is robust and can be used for WC-Co coatings without large investments in spray parameter optimization and control once the coating and powder type have been fixed.     

Oxidation of stainless steel in the high velocity oxy-fuel process

The high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray process has been primarily used for the application of wear-resistant coatings and, with the introduction of new, more powerful systems, is being increasingly considered for producing corrosion-resistant coatings. In this study, the influence of various spray parameters for the JP-5000 and Diamond Jet (DJ) Hybrid systems on the oxidation of stainless steel 316L is characterized. Experimental results reveal that coating oxygen contents of less than 1 wt.% can be more easily attained with the JP-5000 than the DJ Hybrid systems because of the former’s design. In both cases, however, the low particle temperatures necessary for low oxygen content coatings may impair bond and cohesive strength. Heat treating the coatings after processing reduces hardness, metallurgically enhances bond strength, and enables the spheroidization of oxide layers surrounding unmelted particles. An empirical model describing oxidation in the thermal spray process was expanded to explain the oxidation in the HVOF spraying of stainless steel. It was concluded that for these oxygen-sensitive materials, maintaining a relatively low particle temperature throughout the spray process minimizes oxygen pickup by preventing an autocatalytic oxidation process and particle fragmentation upon impact. For the DJ Hybrid systems, understoichiometric fuel settings are selected, whereas for the JP-5000, oxygen-rich mixtures are preferred.     

Feedback control of HVOF thermal spray process accounting for powder size distribution

This work presents a novel formulation of the control problem and a feedback control system for the high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray process, which explicitly accounts for the effect of powder size distribution. Initially, based on model predictions and available experimental data, the control problem is formulated as one of regulating appropriate averages (with respect to the particle volume distribution) of the temperature and velocity of the particles at the point of impact on substrate (these are the variables that directly influence coating microstructure and porosity, which, in turn, determine coating mechanical and thermal properties) by manipulating the oxygen/fuel ratio and the combustion chamber pressure, respectively. Then, a feedback control system is developed and applied to a detailed mathematical model of the process. Closed-loop simulations show that the average particle velocity and temperature at the point of impact on substrate reach the desired values in a short time, which validates the feasibility of real-time implementation of feedback control on HVOF thermal spray systems. It is also shown that the proposed formulation of the control problem (which accounts for the effect of powder size distribution) leads to a solution of the control problem that is superior (with respect to the achievement of the desired control objectives) to a solution that assumes a monodisperse powder size distribution. Finally, the proposed control problem formulation and the feedback control system are shown to be robust with respect to disturbances in spray distance and particle injection velocity, and variations in powder size distribution.     

Influence of parameters of the HVOF thermal spray process on the properties of multicomponent white cast iron coatings

High velocity oxi-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray process has been used in order to deposit a new alloy known as multicomponent white cast iron. The coatings were characterized in terms of macrostructure, phase composition, porosity and hardness. Coating characteristics and properties were found to be dependent on the particles size range, spray distance, gases flow rate and oxygen to propane ratio. For set of parameters utilized in this job a narrow particle size range between 20 and 45 μm with a spray distance of 200 mm and oxygen to propane ratio of 4.6 are the preferred coating parameters. Coating porosity of 0.9% and hardness of 766 HV were obtained under these conditions.     

Effect of oxygen/fuel ratio on the in-flight particle parameters and properties of HVOF WC-CoCr coatings

High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) spray techniques can produce high performance alloy and cermet coatings for applications that require wear resistant surfaces. In HVOF process, the particle velocity and temperature determine the resultant coating properties and in many cases enables a better understanding of the process.The aim of this study is to investigate influences of different oxygen/fuel ratios on velocity and temperature of flying particles as well as properties of the HVOF thermal sprayed WC-CoCr coatings. Particle parameters were recorded just prior to impact on the substrate using in-flight particle diagnostic tool Accuraspray-g3®. Detailed correlation of particle parameters and the coating properties are evaluated in order to deduce particle parameter ranges providing coatings with optimum properties.     

Characterization of thermal sprayed nanostructured WC-Co coatings derived from nanocrystalline WC-18wt.%Co powders

Nanostructured WC-Co coatings were synthesized using high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray. The nanocrystalline feedstock powder with a nominal composition of WC-18 wt.%Co was prepared using the novel integrated mechanical and thermal activation (IMTA) process. The effects of HVOF thermal spray conditions and powder characteristics on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-sprayed WC-Co coatings were studied. It was found that the ratio of oxygen-to-hydrogen flow rate (ROHFR) and the starting powder microstructures had strong effects on decarburization of the nano-coatings. Decarburization was significantly suppressed at low ROHFR and with the presence of free carbon in the powder. The level of porosity in the coatings was correlated with the powder microstructure and spray process conditions. The coating sprayed at ROHFR=0.5 exhibited the highest microhardness value (HV_300g=1077), which is comparable to that of conventional coarse-grained coatings.     

Effect of Spray Particle Velocity on Cavitation Erosion Resistance Characteristics of HVOF and HVAF Processed 86WC-10Co4Cr Hydro Turbine Coatings

The hydro plants utilizing silt-laden water for power generation suffer from severe metal wastage due to particle-induced erosion and cavitation. High-velocity oxy-fuel process (HVOF)-based coatings is widely applied to improve the erosion life. The process parameters such as particle velocity, size, powder feed rate, temperature, affect their mechanical properties. The high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) technology, with higher particle velocities and lower spray temperatures, gives dense and substantially nonoxidized coating. In the present study, the cavitation resistance of 86WC-10Co4Cr-type HVOF coating processed at 680 m/s spray particle velocity was compared with HVAF coatings made at 895, 960, and 1010 m/s. The properties such as porosity, hardness, indentation toughness, and cavitation resistance were investigated. The surface damage morphology has been analyzed in SEM. The cohesion between different layers has been examined qualitatively through scratch depth measurements across the cross section. The HVAF coatings have shown a lower porosity, higher hardness, and superior cavitation resistance. Delamination, extensive cracking of the matrix interface, and detachment of the WC grains were observed in HVOF coating. The rate of metal loss is low in HVAF coatings implying that process parameters play a vital role in achieving improved cavitation resistance.     

Effect of the increase in the entrance convergent section length of the gun nozzle on the high-velocity oxygen fuel and cold spray process

Nozzle geometry, which influences combustion gas dynamics and, therefore, sprayed particle behavior, is one of the most important parameters in the high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray process. The nozzle geometry is also important in the cold spray method. The gas flows in the entrance convergent section of the nozzle exhibit a relatively higher temperature and are subsonic; thus, this region is most suitable for heating spray particles. In this study, numerical simulation and experiments investigated the effect of the entrance geometry of the gun nozzle on the HVOF process. The process changes inside the nozzle, as obtained by numerical simulation studies, were related to the coating properties. An Al₂O₃-40 mass% TiO₂ powder was used for the experimental studies. The change in entrance convergent section length (rather than barrel part length or total length) of the gun nozzle had a significant effect on the deposition efficiency, microstructure, and hardness. The deposition efficiency and hardness increased as this geometry increased. On the other hand, the calculated and measured particle velocity showed a slight decrease. This effect on the HVOF process will also be applied to the nozzle design for the cold spray method.     

Improved Protection Properties by Using Nanostructured Ceramic Powders for HVOF Coatings

The potential of the high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray process for reduced porosity in coatings compared to those produced by other ambient thermal spray processes is well known. The ability to produce high-density ceramic coatings offers potential in high-performance applications in the field of wear, corrosion resistance, and dielectric coatings. However, due to operational limit of the HVOF process to effectively melt the ceramic particles, the process—structure relationship must be well optimized. It has been also demonstrated that benefits from HVOF ceramic coatings can be obtained only if particles are melted enough and good lamella adhesion is produced. One strategy to improve melting of ceramic particles in relative low-flame temperatures of HVOF process is to modify particle crystal structure and composition. In this paper the effect of the powder manufacturing method and the composition on deposition efficiency of spray process as well as on the mechanical properties of the HVOF sprayed are studied. Effect of fuel gas, hydrogen vs. propane, was also demonstrated. Studied materials were alumina-, chromia-, and titania-based agglomerated powders. Coating properties such as microstructure, hardness, abrasive wear resistance, and relative fracture toughness were compared to the coating manufactured by using conventional fused and crushed powders. It can be concluded that powder size distribution and microstructure should be optimized to fulfill process requirements very carefully to produce coatings with high deposition efficiency, dense structure, improved fracture toughness, and adhesion.     

热喷涂TiB2-Ni复合涂层组织结构和力学性能

采用团聚烧结方法制备TiB₂-Ni复合粉末喂料,并采用大气等离子喷涂和高速火焰喷涂两种喷涂方法制备了TiB₂-Ni涂层,比较分析了两种涂层的显微组织、物相组成、孔隙率、硬度和断裂韧性.结果表明,与等离子喷涂相比,高速火焰喷涂制备的TiB₂-Ni涂层具有更高的致密度,TiB₂含量,硬度和断裂韧性.两种涂层中TiB₂都没有发生明显的脱硼,氧化,但等离子喷涂过程中TiB₂向金属相中发生了溶解生成了大量脆性Ni₂₀Ti₃B₆相,并降低了涂层中TiB₂的含量,这是涂层硬度和断裂韧性相对较低的主要原因.     

Mathematical modeling of the gas and powder flow in HVOF systems

A mathematical model was developed to describe the gas dynamics and heat-transfer mechanism in the gas/particle flow of high- velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) systems. A numerical solution was carried out using a PC- based computer program. One- dimensional predictions of the temperature and velocity profiles of gas and particles along the axis of flow were obtained to conduct cost- effective parametric studies and quality optimization of thermal spray coatings produced by HVOF systems. The numerical computer model allows for the variation of the HVOF system parameters, such as air/fuel ratio and flow rates, cooling water inlet temperature and flow rate, barrel length, standoff distance, particle size, and gun geometry. Because of the negligible volume of the powder relative to the gas, the gaseous phase was modeled as continuous nonadiabatic, and friction flow with variable specific heats and changing cross- sectional areas of flow. The generalized continuity, momentum, and energy equations with the influence parameters were used to model the gaseous flow regime and predict its thermodynamic properties. Empirical formulas for the mean axial decay of both velocity and temperature in the supersonic jet plume region were generated from published measurements of these parameters using laser Doppler velocimeter and Ray leigh scattering techniques, respectively. The particle drag and heat- transfer coefficients were calculated by empirical formulas in terms of Reynolds, Nusselt, and Prandtl numbers to evaluate both the momentum and heat transferred between the combustion gases and the powder particles. The model predictions showed good agreement with the particle and gas temperature and velocity measurements that are available in the literature.     

Relationships between in-flight particle characteristics and properties of HVOF sprayed WC-CoCr coatings

Commercially available WC10Co4Cr powder was thermally sprayed by HVOF process. The methane was used as the fuel gas and its flow rate was successively changed as well as the oxygen. The investigation was carried out to determine the influence of operating parameters on the evolution of velocity and temperature of in-flight particles in order to have a better understanding of the interaction between the particle and the flame jet. In relation to the particle characteristics, properties of the sprayed coatings were examined in terms of microstructure, porosity level and microhardness. The results show that the particle velocity and temperature depends strongly on the particle size. The variation of the methane flow rate has a more obvious influence on the velocity and temperature of particles than that of the oxygen. The changes of porosity and microhardness of deposited coatings are discussed corresponding to the variation of fuel and oxygen flow rates.     

Design of Experiment Analysis of the Sulzer Metco DJ High Velocity Oxy-Fuel Coating of Hydroxyapatite for Orthopedic Applications

High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) has the potential to produce hydroxyapatite (HA; Bio-ceramic) coatings based on its experience with other sprayed ceramic materials. This technique should offer mechanical and biological results comparable to other thermal spraying processes, such as atmospheric plasma thermal spray, currently FDA approved for HA deposition. Deposition of HA via HVOF is a new venture especially using the Sulzer Metco Diamond Jet (DJ) process, and the aim of this article was to establish this technique's potential in providing superior HA coating results compared to the FDA-approved plasma spray technique. In this research, a Design of Experiment (DOE) model was developed to optimize the Sulzer Metco DJ HVOF process for the deposition of HA. In order to select suitable ranges for the production of HA coatings, the parameters were first investigated. Five parameters (factors) were researched over two levels namely: oxygen flow rate, propylene flow rate, air flow rate, spray distance, and powder flow rate. Coating crystallinity and purity were measured at the surface of each sample as the responses to the factors used. The research showed that propylene, air flow rate, spray distance, and powder feed rate had the largest effect on the responses, and the study aimed to find the preferred optimized settings to achieve high crystallinity and purity of percentages of up to 95%. This research found crystallinity and purity values of 93.8 and 99.8%, respectively, for a set of HVOF parameters which showed improvement compared to the crystallinity and purity values of 87.6 and 99.4%, respectively, found using the FDA-approved Sulzer Metco Atmospheric Plasma thermal spray process. Hence, a new technique for HA deposition now exists using the DJ HVOF facility; however, other mechanical and biorelated properties must also be assessed.     

Numerical Investigation of Combustion and Flow Dynamics in a High Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Thermal Spray Gun

The combustion and flow behavior within a high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray gun is very complex and involves multiphase flow, heat transfer, chemical reactions, and supersonic/subsonic transitions. Additionally, this behavior has a significant effect on the formation of a coating. Non-premixed combustion models have been developed and are able to provide insight into the underlying physics of the process. Therefore, this investigation employs a non-premixed combustion model and the SST \(k - \omega\) turbulence model to simulate the flow field of the JP5000 (Praxair-TAFA, US) HVOF thermal spray gun. The predicted temperature and velocity have a high level of agreement with experimental data when using the non-premixed combustion model. The results are focused on the fuel combustion, the subsequent gas dynamics within the HVOF gun, and the development of a supersonic free jet outside the gun. Furthermore, the oxygen/fuel inlet turbulence intensity, the fuel droplet size, and the oxygen/fuel ratio are investigated to determine their effect on the supersonic flow characteristics of the combustion gas.