Thermal Spray Quasicrystalline Coatings Part I: Relationships Among Processing, Phase Structure and Splat Morphology

A study was performed to examine the effects of starting powder composition, substrate thermal conductivity, and substrate temperature on the composition and structure of individual Al-Cu-Fe splats formed during thermal spraying. The fraction of quasicrystalline phase which formed was found to depend on the chemistry and solidification history of the splats. Due to evaporative loss of Al during spraying, an initial powder composition higher in Al produced splats closer to the desired composition, which yielded more of the quasicrystalline phase. Deposition onto lower thermal conductivity surfaces resulted in an increase in the quasicrystalline phase, as did solidification onto higher temperature substrates.