Finite Element Analysis of Mechanical Responses of Plasma Sprayed Composite Coatings at the Structural Scale: Effect of the Pore Network Architecture

This study aims to better understand stress fields in composite coatings produced by plasma spraying. To that end, Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings are deposited under conditions that result in architectures differing in pore content, crack density, and crack orientation. SEM images of the coatings are divided into discrete stress domains that are analyzed by finite elements. FEA simulations show that network architecture has a significant influence on stress fields and that secondary phases have a particularly negative effect. The paper also proposes a generic method for stress analysis based on representative volume elements and points out its advantages and limitations.