Characterization of Al₂O₃ and SiC Particles, Reinforced Al Powders, and Plasma Sprayed Wear Resistance Coatings

Aluminum coatings reinforced with either Al₂O₃ or SiC particles were deposited onto aluminum substrates and subjected to various tests. The coatings were made with mechanically alloyed powders via atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Both types of coatings had uniformly distributed hard particles, porosities in the range of 4 to 5%, and bond strengths of around 20 MPa. The wear resistance of the SiC-reinforced coatings, however, was almost 35% higher than the coatings containing Al₂O₃. X-ray examination (XRD) showed that the Al₂O₃ particles undergo partial phase transformation during spraying, making them more prone to wear.