Effects of Spray Kinetic Parameters on Coating Properties in Plasma Spray Process

In this work, a three-dimensional coating build-up model is developed to investigate the effect of torch speed, spray angle, and step size on plasma-sprayed coatings. In-flight particle locations and status prior to impact are measured and the data obtained are fed into the model. The model is used to predict the thickness, roughness, and porosity of plasma-sprayed coatings for different spray angles, torch scanning speeds, and scanning steps. Simulation results are presented and discussed along with several rules that govern splat deformation, splat overlap, and pore formation.