Thermally-sprayed LZ/YSZ double-layer coatings are promising candidate for the next generation thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) due to exceedingly low thermal conductivity and superior high-temperature phase stability. However, a delamination failure at LZ and YSZ interface were widely observed during TBCs service. Till today, the interfacial microstructure between LZ and YSZ remains unclear. In the present study, LZ splats were deposited on YSZ substrate to serve as a LZ/YSZ interface. The interfacial microstructure was explored by focused ion beam (FIB) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM). The interfacial defects at splat interface were clearly observed and thoroughly discussed. These results would shed light on deeply understanding the interfacial failure of double-layer LZ/YSZ coatings.

The Cold spray method of material deposition is widely used for surface enhancement, to improve properties such as corrosion and wear. A detailed microstructural analysis of cold sprayed Ni based coatings (IN625 (Inconel 625 is a Trademark of Huntington alloys corporation) using the transmission electron microscope, revealed the occurrence of three distinct types of microstructures in the as sprayed condition, adjacent to each other. These include the occurrence of large (> 1 μm) grains having a high dislocation density, along with regions comprising shear bands (20-30 nm wide) and twins with a large aspect ratio (> 1000), along with locations having a very fine grained structure (20-30 nm). The crystallite size, using a Hall-Williamson plot measures an average 50 nm. The substrate deformation indicates a bilayer dynamic recrystallization, as a means to accommodate the strain. The microscopy studies will serve to correlate the bonding mechanism of cold sprayed IN625 on 4130 steel.

The new kinetic spray coating technique, vacuum kinetic spray (aerosol deposition), utilizes the pressure gap between powder hopper and coating chamber which is vacuumed. In this study, to investigate the deposition mechanisms present in the vacuum kinetic spray coatings, α-Al 2 O 3 and glass were chosen as the powder and substrate materials, respectively, and these were considered as the reference materials to examine the effect of free surfaces after particle fractures. Based on the finite-element modeling (using an AUTODYN-2D 12.1), single particle impacts were simulated, and the results elucidated the material shape, temperature variation and mass change of particle due to its fracture during impact. The plots of total mass change as a function of particle impact velocity demonstrate the deposition-optimized velocity zone (DOVZ) for successful deposition. Compared to as-received powders, from the transmission electron microscope (TEM) images, the defects such as dislocations of the ball-milled powders might increase the tendency of the powder particles to fracture upon impact. The cross-section images of the coating showed that the particle sizes of the coating were drastically decreased compared to those of initial powders. During coating, fractured particles enlarged the thermodynamically unstable free surface area and have a tendency of formation of bonding.

The adhesion of plasma-sprayed coating is to a large extent controlled by the cleanness and roughness of the surface on which the coating is deposited. So, most of the plasma spray procedures involve surface pretreatment by grit-blasting to adapt the roughness of the surface to the size of the impacting particles. This preparation process brings about compressive stresses that make it inappropriate for thin substrates. The present works aims to elaborate a ceramic coating on a thin metal substrate with a smooth surface. The coating system is intended for use in a generation–IV nuclear energy system. It must exhibit a good adhesion between the ceramic topcoat (about 0.5-mm thick) and the smooth metal substrate (1-mm thick) to meet the specifications of the application. Our approach has consisted in depositing the ceramic layer on a few micrometers thick ceramic layer made by suspension spraying. We have observed the interface between both ceramic layers by transmission electronic microscope and studied the adhesion of the nanostructured layer by the Vickers Indentation Cracking technique and that of the coating system by tensile test.

Cold spraying has been developed as a high-quality coating process. However, the deposition materials were limited as metallic materials. In this paper, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) ceramic particles are deposited on several substrate materials and formed thick coatings, making this approach suitable for a wide range of photocatalytic applications. In order to understand the adhesion mechanism of solid ceramic particles, the structures of feedstock particles are carefully observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM). We find a porous structure which is agglomerated with nano-scaled primary particles. It is assumed that the break down phenomenon occurs due to the cold spray process and influences the adhesion of ceramic particles. The primary particles are bonded within a single crystal. This particular structure is the main factor to make adhesion between the particle and the substrate. SEM and TEM analysis clearly reveals adhesion mechanisms related to the impact of spraying ceramic particles toward the substrate.