This study focuses on the development of three TiO 2 -based coatings using suspension flame spray process. Superhydrophobic properties were achieved by creating surface roughness and reducing energy with stearic acid. The effects of polydimethylsiloxane and epoxy on these properties and durability were tested under UV light and low temperatures.

Thermal spraying of fine and ultrafine powders is realised by a novel method based on highly filled filaments as feedstock material for high velocity oxy fuel flame spraying (HVOF). Hereby, the desired coating material is supplied as finely dispersed powder within a polymer filament. Thus, the polymer works only as a transport medium and is fully decomposed when entering the combustion zone instantly releasing the solid dispersion, similar to the liquid dispersion medium in a suspension. It can work as an appropriate method to process fine and ultrafine powders. The solid nature of the dispersion medium poses several benefits compared to liquids, especially from the manufacturing point of view, since the process is geared to a wire flame spraying method. This work focusses on the challenges and benefits of this novel approach. First experimental results of spraying different filaments are presented.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are classified as a new class of advanced metallic materials that have received significant attention in recent years due to their stable microstructures and promising properties. In this study, three mechanically alloyed equiatomic HEA coatings – AlCoCrFeMo, AlCoCrFeMoW, and AlCoCrFeMoV – were fabricated on stainless steel substrates using flame spray manufacturing technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Vicker’s microhardness were utilized to characterize the fabricated HEA coatings. Furthermore, Joule heating experiments using a modified version of a two-probe test was used to measure the electrical resistivity of the HEA coatings. To prevent short-circuiting of the metallic coatings, a thin layer of alumina was deposited as a dielectric material prior to the deposition of HEA coatings. The microstructure of the HEA coatings showed the presence of multiple oxide regions along with solid-solution phases. The porosity levels were approximately 2 to 3% for all the HEA coatings. The HEA coatings had a thickness of approximately 130 to 140 μm, whereas the alumina layer was 120 to 160 μm thick. The electrical resistivity values were higher for all the HEA coatings compared to flame-sprayed Ni-20Cr and NiCrAlY coatings and AlCoCrFeNi HEA thin film, which may be attributed to the characteristics of HEAs, such as severe lattice distortion and solute segregations. The combined interaction of high hardness and increased electrical resistivity suggests that the flame-sprayed HEA coatings can be used as multifunctional wear-resistant materials for energy generation applications.

The piezoresistivity of flame-sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY on an electrically insulated surface of a steel substrate was investigated through cyclic extension and compression cycles between 0 and 0.4 mm for 1000 cycles and uniaxial tensile test. The sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY was in grid form with grid thickness of 3 mm and grid length of 30 mm while the electrical insulation was fabricated by flame spraying alumina on the surface of the steel. During mechanical loading, instantaneous electrical resistance measurements were conducted to evaluate the corresponding relative resistance change. Images of the loaded samples were captured for strain calculations through Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. After consolidation of the pores within the coating, the behavior of the flame-sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY was consistent and linear within the cyclic compression and extension limits, with strain values of approximately -1000 με and +1700 με, respectively. The coating had a consistent and steady maximum relative resistance change of approximately 5% within both limits. The tensile test revealed that the coating has two gauge factors due to the bi-linearity of the plot of relative resistance change against strain. The progression of damage within the coating layers was analyzed from its piezoresistive response and through back-scattered scanning electron microscopy images. Based on the results, the nickel alloy showed high piezoresistive sensitivity for the duration of the loading cycles, with little or no damage to the coating layers. These results suggest that the flame-sprayed nickel alloy coating has great potential as a surface damage detection sensor.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) constitute a new class of advanced metallic alloys that exhibit exceptional properties due to their unique microstructural characteristics. HEAs contain multiple (five or more) elements in equimolar or nearly equimolar fractions compared to traditional alloy counterparts. Due to their potential benefits, HEAs can be fabricated with thermal spray manufacturing technologies to provide protective coatings for extreme environments. In this study, the AlCoCrFeMoW and AlCoCrFeMoV coatings were successfully developed using flame spraying. The effect of W and V on the HEA coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and micro-hardness testing. Furthermore, performance of the coating under abrasive loading was investigated as per ASTM Standard G65. Microstructural studies showed different oxides with solid-solution phases for all the HEA coatings. Hardness results were higher for the AlCoCrFeMoV coatings followed by AlCoCrFeMoW and AlCoCrFeMo coatings. Lower wear rates were achieved for the AlCoCrFeMoV coatings compared to AlCoCrFeMoW and AlCoCrFeMo coatings. The evolution of multiple oxide phases and underlying microstructural features improved the resistance to abrasive damage for the AlCoCrFeMoV coatings compared to other HEA coatings. These results suggest that the flame-sprayed HEA coatings can be potential candidates for different tribological interfaces while concurrently opening new avenues for HEA coating utilization.

This study assesses the quality of flame-sprayed alumina coatings produced from recently developed alumina cord using argon and compressed air as atomizing gases. Coatings of different thicknesses were deposited on aluminum substrates and then analyzed using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and resistivity measurements. The coatings, particularly those sprayed with argon, had fine microstructure and higher surface and volume resistivity than flame-spray coatings made from alumina cord in the past. They were also found to have higher alpha phase content than plasma-sprayed coatings, regardless of the atomizing gas used. The effect of humidity and the possible formation of aluminum hydroxides are also addressed.

This study investigates the effect of incorporating different reinforcing particles on the microstructure, electrical resistance, and heating efficiency of flame-sprayed nickel-based coatings. Feedstock powders were prepared by adding Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and WC particles to NiCrAlY powder, and the various combinations were applied to alumina-coated carbon steel substrates. A number of Joule heating experiments were conducted by creating voltage differences across the coatings and measuring temperature changes due to induced electron flow and associated resistive heating. It was found that the electrical properties of the ceramic particles have a major effect on heat generation and that there is considerable room for improvement.

In this study, icephobic polymer coatings were produced by flame spraying using different process parameters. Process optimization for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) coatings was achieved through design of experiments. The most icephobic coating was produced at a traverse speed of 900 mm/sec and a spraying distance of 250 mm. Although surface roughness affected ice adhesion, thermal effects proved to be the main factor influencing the performance of the coating. The higher the processing temperature, the smoother the surface and the greater the polymer degradation. It is also shown that coating degradation can be caused during post heating steps with similar consequences in the ice-shedding performance of the LDPE coatings.

Marine biofouling has emerged as worldwide serious problems for artificial marine infrastructures. Among the measures taken so far to solve such problems, construction of an antifouling layer has been proven to be effective in offering long-term antifouling performances. Antifouling based on the use of biocides is the most important method in modern maritime industries. While tributyltin (TBT)-based self-polishing coatings are being replaced by other biocide-releasing coatings, the environmental toxicity of these compounds is also under scrutiny. Therefore, there is a significant interest in developing non-toxic technologies. Green biocides can also be extracted from many types of organisms including terrestrial plants, sea creatures and bacteria. In this study, flame sprayed polyethylene (PE)-capsaicin composite coatings were developed for marine antifouling applications. Capsaicin powder were fixed by polymer-based substrate and distributed evenly. Antifouling test indicated excellent antibacterial properties of PE-capsaicin composite coatings against adhesion of marine Bacillus sp. bacteria. Prohibited formation of biofilm on the surfaces of the thermal sprayed composite coatings gives clear insight into their potential applications as antifouling layers in the marine environment.

Electroless plating was employed for making copper (Cu)-high density polyethylene (HDPE) core-shell particles for following coating deposition by flame spraying. Our previous works already reported large-scale fabrication of HDPE/Cu composite coatings against corrosion, biofouling and ageing for marine applications. In this work, we further investigated tribological behaviours of the HDPE and the HDPE/Cu composite coatings. The structure of the composite coatings was designed via controlling the thickness of the copper shell coated on the composite powder. The result shows that the addition of copper slightly decreased the anti-wear property of the composite coating. The tribology mechanisms of the composite coating and the HDPE coating were discussed.

There have been increasing demands for adequate gas sensors to monitor O 3 , a respiratory irritant gas associated with a spectrum of adverse health events. Here we report film construction by liquid flame spray route and characterization of nanostructured WO 3 -reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites and their gas-sensing activities to O 3 . The starting feedstock was prepared from WCl 6 and rGO for pyrolysis synthesis by flame spray. Nanosized WO 3 grains exhibited oriented nucleation on rGO flakes and rGO retained intact nano-structural features after the spraying. Constrained grain growth of WO 3 was realized in the rGO-containing films with 60-70 nm size as compared to ~220 nm in the pure WO 3 film. The WO 3 -rGO film sensors showed quicker response to O 3 and faster recovery than the rGO-free WO 3 film sensors. Addition of rGO in 1.0wt.% or 3.0wt.% in the films caused significantly reduced effective working temperature of the film sensors from ~250°C to ~150°C. These results might shed some light on liquid flame spray fabrication of novel functional nanocomposites for gas-sensing applications.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is available in powder form for plasma spraying. HAP powder was fabricated indigenously in the Rod form of diameter 4.17mm. This rod was sprayed with the help of MEC make Rodojet 9810 (flame spray process). Rodojet parameter were optimised for HAP rod. Crystallinity and purity level of HAP rod was measured. XRD and SEM were used to analysed the microstructure of rod and coating. The microstructure, mechanical properties of the coating were investigated, and measure the Ca/P ratio of coating and rod. The micro-hardness and elastic modules were determined by indentation tests and bond strength was determined by tensile test. The results showed that the microstructure, mechanical properties was observed same as in plasma spray process. Porosity was observed more than 15%. The bond strength of coating was observed 20 MPa. Scratch test was done to measure the cohesive strength of coating. This new experiments play an important role for reduction the cost of the HAP powder coating.

Polyimide-copper layers consisting of individual capsule-like splats were one-step fabricated by solution precursor flame spray through controlling the reaction between dianhydride and diamine dissolved in copper nanoparticles containing dimethylformamide solvent. The polyimide splat exhibited hollow structure with an inner pore of 10-15 µm and a tiny hole of 1-5 µm on its top surface. Transversal cut by focused ion beam milling of the individual splats and scanning electron microscopy characterization further revealed unique dispersion of the copper nanoparticles inside the polyimide shell. After 1000 h exposure to the testing synthetic seawater, continuous release of copper from the coatings containing up to 30wt.%Cu kept remarkable. Antifouling performances of the constructed layers were assessed by examining colonization behaviors of typical bacteria Bacillus sp. and marine algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chlorella on their surfaces. Distribution of the inorganic nanoparticles endows the polyimide coatings with special capsule structure and exciting hydrophobicity and antifouling performances. The liquid flame spray route and the encapsulated structure of the polyimide-Cu coatings would open a new window for designing and constructing environment-friendly marine antifouling layers for long-term applications.

Thermally sprayed Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coatings were in the area of interest over the last decade because they showed improved wear properties over conventional coatings. In this study, flexicord flame spray gun was used to deposit Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coatings at different spray parameters. The microstructural morphology variation and phase transformation of coatings were investigated. In addition, as one of the most important properties for ceramic coatings, hardness, solid particle abrasive wear resistance of coatings were measured before and after heat treated condition. Test results show that the higher mechanical properties and wear resistance by the heat treatment at elevated temperatures.

In this study, yttria films with high thermal shock resistance were synthesized from a metal-EDTA complex by means of combustion flame spraying. A rotating stage and various cooling agents were used to control substrate temperature during deposition. Although thermally extreme environments were employed during synthesis, the obtained films showed only a few cracks and some minor peeling in their microstructures. In the case of a Y 2 O 3 film synthesized using substrate rotation and water atomization, the porosity was found to be 22.8% and the temperature of the film immediately after deposition was 453 °C, owing to a high heat of evaporation in the cooling water.

In this study, Vickers indentation testing is used to determine the fracture toughness of hard flame spray coatings produced from cored-wire feedstocks, including WC-10Co4Cr, 75CrCo-25NiCr, and WC-12Co. Average measured values are compared with fracture toughness values calculated from seven different equations found in the literature in order to validate the experimental results and to better understand the relationship between fracture toughness and coating hardness for each of the tested materials.

This paper describes the fabrication of corrosion-resistant HDPE coatings with antifouling properties achieved through the dispersion of Cu particles. The main feedstock powder was prepared by coating HDPE particles with a 1 μm thick Cu shell via electroless plating. The coated particles were flame sprayed as a topcoat over HDPE and Cu layers that had been deposited on mild steel substrates. SEM, EDS, and XRD analysis was used to examine the coatings and feedstock powders. After neutral salt spray testing for 14 days, the HDPE-Cu coatings were found to be relatively intact. Coating samples of various types were also immersed in bacteria-containing artificial seawater for three days. Field-emission SEM showed that the attachment of Bacillus sp., which successfully colonized on HDPE surfaces, was significantly constrained on pure copper and HDPE-Cu composite coatings. Some of the proposed theories on how Cu ions inhibit the formation of biofilms are discussed.

This study investigates the heat-shock properties of metal-oxide films synthesized from ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexes using conventional flame-spray equipment. An EDTA·Y·H powder was placed in the feed unit of the sprayer and transported by a flow of oxygen to the gun. The powder was sprayed using a mixture of H 2 and O 2 as the flame gas, producing a layer of yttrium oxide on a stainless steel substrate. XRD analysis was used to examine the crystal structure of the deposits and SEM imaging revealed the surface and cross-sectional microstructure. A cyclic thermal shock test was conducted and the deposited film was analyzed for the existence of cracks, deformation, and delamination. Although the number of cracks, crack lengths, and cracks per unit area increased due to heat shock, delaminations were not observed. The results show that the Y 2 O 3 films have high thermal-shock resistance and are suitable for use as thermal barrier coatings.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the brittleness of suspension sprayed aluminum oxide coatings with various methods, including Vickers indentation fracture toughness, four-point bending, and high-velocity particle impact testing. Coatings were applied via high-velocity suspension flame spraying (HVSFS) using suspensions of isopropanol and water solvents. HVOF-sprayed Al 2 O 3 powder feedstock was used as a reference. The tests are described and the results are presented and discussed.

High efficiency gas turbine needs high temperature sealing by abradable porous ceramic coatings. In this study, porous Al 2 O 3 coatings were deposited by flame spraying through controlling melting of spray powder particle in a semi-molten state. The effect of melting degree of spray particles changed via spray conditions on coating microstructure and porosity was investigated. The melting degree of spray particles was characterized by using 3D confocal laser microscopy. The porosity of the coating was estimated by image analysis. The results showed that the melting degree of alumina particles can be changed from 80 down to 30% and thus the coating porosity can be increased from 30% up to about 60%. The standard hardness test yielded no effective data for the porous coatings deposited by spray particles of a melting degree less than 60%, and hardness of 32-75 HR15Y for Al 2 O 3 coatings deposited by spray particles with a melting degree higher than 60%. The pin-on-disk abrasion test of Inconel 738 nickel-based superalloy spherical pin of 5 mm in diameter at room temperature against porous alumina coating was conducted to evaluate abradability of porous Al 2 O 3 coatings. It was found that for the coatings of hardness less than 32HR15Y and porosity over 40% the wear weight loss of the IN738 pin became negligible despite high wear rate of the coating. It is evident that the flame-sprayed porous alumina coatings of high porosity by the present approach are promising abradable coatings applicable to gas turbine operating at high temperature.