Effect of spraying distance on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Colmonoy 88 alloy deposited by HVOF thermal spraying

The present work has been conducted in order to determine systematically the influence of the spraying distance on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a Colmonoy 88 alloy deposited by means of HVOF thermal spray onto a SAE 1045 steel substrate. The spray distance varied between 380-470 mm and the evaluation of the deposits characteristics and properties was carried out both on their surface and on cross section. Both hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings were determined according to the model of Oliver and Pharr. The yield strength of the coatings was also estimated following the methodology developed by Zeng and Chiu for the analysis of the loading and unloading curves obtained from nanoindentation experiments, as well as from classical static spherical indentation tests. The microstructural analysis indicated a significant increase in the unmelted particles volume fraction and the development of interlamellar microcracks as the spraying distance increases, leading to a decrease in the elastic modulus of the coatings. Both hardness and elastic modulus showed an anisotropic behavior and were found to be higher on the cross section of the coating than on the deposition plane. A satisfactory comparison between the predicted and experimental values of the coatings yield strength was observed for all the conditions investigated.