The Structure Property Relationship of Erosion Resistant Thermal Spray Coatings

Thermal spray coatings are widely used for erosion resistance, but the relationship between the microstructure of the coatings and their erosion resistance is not well understood. In this paper the performance of several commonly used coatings at ambient and elevated temperatures is reviewed in light of the coatings' structure and compared with a new coating. Two high temperature industrial applications, solid particle erosion in steam turbines and alumina-based erosion have been chosen to illustrate the significance of a coating's structure on its performance.