This paper deals with a comprehensive evaluation of the laser glazing or re-melting route as a possible means of specifically enhancing the performance of thermal sprayed WC-Co coatings. In the present study, a high-power continuous-wave 9kW CO 2 laser was utilized for laser treatment of plasma sprayed as well as detonation sprayed WC-Co coatings. The influence of the two most important laser-related variables, namely laser power and scan speed, on the properties of the laser-treated layers was investigated. Both mere surface densification by melting a thin top layer of the coating as well as melting of the entire portion of the coated layer were targeted during laser treatment. In each case, the laser treated coatings were fully characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and microhardness measurements. In addition, the influence of laser processing on the elemental distribution, phase constitution and extent of defects in the treated layers was investigated. The tribological performance of the laser-glazed coatings was also evaluated and compared against the performance of their as-sprayed counterparts. The study has revealed significant differences between the response of plasma and detonation sprayed WC-Co layers when subjected to laser treatment. The potential of plasma-sprayed coatings to match the performance of the inherently superior detonation sprayed coatings by adopting laser glazing as a post-processing step has also been assessed.

In this study, laser glazing is used to densify plasma-sprayed YSZ coatings on carbon steel substrates. Melt pool characteristics are assessed for different laser settings and treatment conditions, including substrate preheating. SEM examination of coating surfaces and cross-sections before and after laser treatment shows how microstructure responds to process parameters. It also shows how preheating widens the melt pool, deepens the laser-glazed layer, and reduces the surface density of cracks, thus improving coating quality.

Ni base overlay coatings are being used to protect metallic engineering components in extreme conditions and actually traditional thermal spray deposition technologies such as Air Plasma Spraying (APS) and High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) are mainly used to deposit these materials. However, Coldspray is receiving increased attention during the last years because of the lower spraying temperature required to deposit metallic coatings avoiding oxidation and reducing the coating porosity and the amount of residual stresses. The adhesion to the substrate and the growth mechanism of coldspray deposits are based on plastic deformation of impinging particles, so, in the case of high strength materials such as for example Ni alloys, it could be a lack in plastic deformation leading to insufficient compactness of the coating, barrier properties and high temperature resistance. Further improvements in the coatings performances could be attained by post-deposition thermal treatments to enhance coating adhesion and barrier properties. In this sense, the aim of this study is to explore a two-step way to produce high performances Inconel 625 alloy coatings by coldspray deposition followed by a laser glazing treatment. Coldspray Inconel 625 alloy coatings has been deposited onto AISI304 steel substrates. Laser glazing is performed using high power diode laser (HPDL) ROFIN-SINAR 13DS; the local thermal treatment on the coating surface induce microstructural changes which could modify and improve the coating compactness and performances. Coating morphology and microstructure has been evaluated and reported both before and after laser consolidation as a function of different laser conditions.

Zirconia based, 8Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 and 22MgO-ZrO 2 thick thermal barrier coatings (1000µm), were studied with different sealing methods for diesel engine applications. Aim of the sealing procedure was to improve hot corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of porous TBC coatings. The surface of the TTBCs was sealed with two different methods, phosphate based sealing treatment and laser glazing. The thickness of the densified top layer in all cases was 50-400µm. XRD analysis showed some minor phase changes and reaction products caused by phosphate based sealing treatment and some crystal orientation changes and phase changes in laser-glazed coatings. The porosity of the outer layer of the sealed coating decreased in all cases, which led to increased microhardness values. The hot corrosion resistance of TTBCs against 60Na 2 SO 4 - 40V 2 O 5 deposit was determined in isothermal exposure at 650°C for 200 h. Corrosion products and phase changes were studied with XRD after the test. Short-term engine test was performed for the reference coatings (8Y 2 O 3 - ZrO 2 and 22MgO-ZrO 2 ) and for the phophate sealed coatings. Engine tests were performed at the maximum load of the engine and it was aimed to evaluate the thermal cycling resistance of the sealed coatings. All the coatings passed the engine test, but some vertical cracks were detected in the phosphate sealed coatings.

In gas turbines and diesel engines there is a demand for Thick Thermal Barrier Coatings (TTBCs), because of the increased process combustion temperatures. Unfortunately the increased thickness of plasma sprayed TBCs normally leads to a reduced coating lifetime. So for that reason the coating structures have to be modified. When modifying the structure of TTBCs, the focus is normally set on elastic modulus reduction of the thick coating, in order to improve the coating strain tolerance. On the other hand, coating structural modification procedures, such as sealing treatments, can be performed when increased hot corrosion resistance or better mechanical properties are needed. In this paper we introduced several modified zirconia based TTBC structures and their specific microstructural properties. Coating surface sealing procedures such as phosphate sealing, laser-glazing and sol-gel impregnation were studied as potential methods in increasing the hot corrosion and erosion resistance of TTBCs. Some microstructural modifications were also made by introducing segmentation cracks into the coating structures by laserglazing and by using special spraying parameters. These last two methods were studied in order to increase the strain tolerance of TTBCs. The coating microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy, SEM, TEM, EDS analysis and X-ray diffraction. The effect of sealing procedures was studied on basic thermal and mechanical properties of the coatings. In the paper it was also presented some correlations between the coating properties and microstructures, and discussed about the advantages and drawbacks of each modification procedure.

This paper explains how laser-beam remelting influences the quality of ceramic coatings on superalloy substrates. The coatings studied consist of Al2O3-Ni ceramic layers. Test results showed that a laser power density of 0.103 x 109 W/m2 is ideal for a beam rate of 1 to 2 m/min. It was also found that coating quality could be further improved by adding a diffusive Cr-Al layer prior to laser remelting. This added step reduces pore volume and layer thickness and increases adhesion without cracks, chips, or spalls. The examination also showed that, depending on cooling rate, it is possible to obtain layers that are similar in composition but different in structure or even amorphic.

This study demonstrates a new surface treatment for thermal barrier coatings that combines ultrasonic vibration and laser remelting and assesses its effect on crack distribution, surface morphology, and grain refinement. YSZ coating samples were vibrated at 20 kHz at different power levels while being irradiated by a Nd:YAG pulsed laser operated at 5.2 J and 6 J. SEM examination revealed a uniform distribution of segmented network cracks in treated samples, which are shown to play an important role in relieving stress and increasing strain tolerance in topcoat layers, thus improving fracture toughness and thermal cycle life. Another important finding is that visible ribbon-like loops induced by variations in surface tension were eliminated as a result of improved surface convection facilitated by ultrasonic vibration. At a vibration power of 520 W, coating surfaces were uniform and flat, but at 1300 W, undulations and trough geometries were observed. The results of XRD analysis indicate that tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformations are prevented when ultrasonic vibration power is greater than 780 W.

This paper investigates the effect of laser post-treatment on cladded coatings deposited by different thermal spray methods. A wide range of coatings, including a VPS sprayed alloy, three APS sprayed oxide ceramics, and two composites, are treated with either a CO 2 or pulsed Nd:YAG high-power laser. The microstructure and wear resistance of the layers are examined before and after treatment and the interaction between the laser and material is modeled using Fusion-2D. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

Thermally sprayed ceramic coatings such as plasma-sprayed alumina exhibit a composite microstructure due to the presence of defects such as pores, interlamellar and intra-lamellar cracks. These second phase typed features influence the mechanical behaviour of the coating dramatically. In this study, an excimer laser surface treatment of plasma-sprayed alumina surface was developed for the optimization of component properties of a wireline tool used in the oil industry. In contrast to liquid phase treatment realized with CO 2 or YAG laser, an excimer laser processing presents short wavelength which means that for ceramic materials, the energy is absorbed in a region of the surface. This condition leads to surface treatment free of cracks. Effect of laser operating parameters, i.e. wavelength, pulse number and power density, on microstructure and the sealing quality of the coating are discussed. First, surfaces and cross sections of the microstructures were studied using image analysis of scanning electron microscope (SEM). Surface roughness and coating ablation were characterized according to laser treatment. Then, three dimensional (3D) microstructures were obtained using X-ray microtomography to evaluate the 3D porosity after laser treatment. Finally, nanoindentation and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out to characterize respectively the mechanical and electrical properties of the modified coating microstructure. The excimer laser surface processing was shown to be an innovative process to control the insulating characteristics of plasma-sprayed alumina.

Thermal spray processes are widely used to deposit high-chromium nickel-chromium coatings to improve high temperature oxidation and corrosion behaviour. However, in spite of the efforts made to improve the present spraying techniques, such as HVOF and plasma spraying, these coatings may still exhibit certain defects such as unmelted particles, oxide layers at splat boundaries, porosity and cracks, which are detrimental to corrosion performance in severe operation conditions. Due to low process temperature only mechanical bonding is obtained between the coating and substrate. Laser remelting of the sprayed coatings was studied in order to overcome the drawbacks of sprayed structures and to markedly improve the coating properties. The coating material was high-chromium nickel-chromium alloy, which contains small amounts of molybdenum and boron (53.3%Cr- 42.5%Ni - 2.5%Mo - 0.5%B). The coatings were prepared by high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying onto mild steel substrates. High power fiber coupled continuous wave Nd-YAG laser equipped with large beam optics was used to remelt the HVOF sprayed coating using different levels of scanning speed and beam width (10 mm and 20 mm). Coating remelted with the highest traverse speed tended to suffer cracking during rapid solidification inherent to laser processing. However, choosing appropriate laser parameters, non-porous, crack-free coatings with minimal dilution between coating and substrate were produced. Laser remelting resulted in the formation of dense oxide layer on top of the coatings and full homogenization of the sprayed structure. The coatings as-sprayed and after laser remelting were characterized by optical and electron microscopy (OPM, SEM). Dilution between coating and substrate was studied with EDS. The properties of the laser remelted coatings were directly compared with properties of as-sprayed HVOF coatings.

This study investigates the effects of laser remelting on plasma sprayed YSZ thermal barrier coatings using a pulsed laser with and without induction preheating. It is shown that induction preheating decreases the laser threshold energy required for full remelting, which effectively reduces crack density. Induction preheating also helps in developing a steadier melt temperature and in decreasing thermal gradients between successive remelting passes. XRD analysis shows that it can reduce the amount of monoclinic phase as well.

Slurry-handling equipment and pipelines particularly used in coal processing and mining industries are continuously exposed to the Impact of liquid-borne solid particles, resulting in progressive damage and loss of material. Cost-effective solutions to slurry erosion in aqueous media have been mainly limited to austenitic stainless steels, although coatings have been proposed. This work was aimed at evaluating the slurry erosion resistance of arc-sprayed coatings and determining what improvement IS achieved after laser melting. Multiphase and Type 316 stainless steel arc-sprayed coatings were obtained by arc spraying in air solid and cored wires. The surface of arc-sprayed coatings was melted using a pulsed Nd-YAG laser producing 1.06 µm wavelength radiation. Arc-sprayed and laser-melted coatings were slurry erosion tested at impact angles of 25° and 90° in a laboratory slurry jet erosion device using quartz sand as erodent. The evaluation of wear damage was done with a laser profilometer. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to evaluate the microstructural changes which occurred after laser surface melting. Multiphase arc-sprayed coatings were more slurry erosion resistant than Type 316 stainless steel coatings. Improvement in slurry erosion resistance, particularly at the impact angle of 90°, was achieved by laser melting multiphase arc-sprayed coatings. Although deep microstructural changes occurred within coatings upon laser melting, the removal of stringers between sprayed platelets by laser melting was found responsible for the increase in slurry erosion resistance of multiphase laser-melted coatings.

Many substrates do not sustain the conventional glazing process (i.e., vitreous glazing) due to the relatively high temperature required by this treatment (i.e., up to 1400 °C in some cases) to fuse glazes after their application on the surface to be covered. Thermal spraying could appear as a solution to circumvent this limitation and to avoid the thermal decomposition of the substrates. This contribution describes some structural attributes of glaze coatings manufactured by flame spraying. It also discusses the influence of the feedstock powder morphology and some of its physical properties on the coating characteristics.

Moving from a 2-dimensional to a 3-dimensional approach to microstructure and properties has been expected eagerly for a long while to result in a dramatic increase in the knowledge of thermally-sprayed processes and coatings. To meet these expectations, in the present work, microtomography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out to simulate the microstructure of plasma-sprayed alumina. As-sprayed and excimer laser-processed deposits were studied. Some unexpected but relevant results, e.g. regarding pore orientation in the coatings, could be obtained. EIS simulation led to the establishing of an electrical circuit equivalent to the microstructure which simulated the insulating properties as a function of interfaces and pore interconnection. The latter was studied by microtomography. From this 3-dimensional simulation, a finite element analysis of mechanical properties was developed and compared to experimental measurements. Using this approach to microstructure and properties, excimer laser surface processing was shown to be an innovative process to modify insulating characteristics of plasma-sprayed alumina.

Laser post-treatments and plasma-laser hybrid spraying processes are increasingly being used to extend the service life of thermal barrier coatings by making them more resistant to thermal shock. Studies show that laser-induced cracking plays a major role in the improvements achieved. The investigation of such modified layers can be difficult, however, because the stresses associated with metallographic procedures can alter the structural features of segmented microcracks and damage the specimen. In this research, laser treated and laser hybrid sprayed thermal barrier coatings are vacuum impregnated with fluorescent epoxy resins in order to study their microstructure and its relationship with thermal shock resistance. All relevant processes are described along with crack formation behaviors. Paper includes a German-language abstract.

For electrical or thermal insulation, the porosity of an air plasma sprayed (APS) coating is an important property to control. Moreover in aggressive environment the interconnected porosity is responsible for the substrate corrosion. To solve, at least partially, this problem, deposition by mutitechniques (APS and a PECVD) was used to close interconnected and opened porosities. In this study, titanium alloy (TA6V) substrates were coated by alumina using either one or both deposition processes. Electrochemical characterization technique was used to evaluate the open porosity in alumina coatings. It consists of evaluating the polarization resistance of the reference sample surface (uncoated substrate) and to compare it to coated ones. After different tests for selecting the electrolyte solution, the influences of different parameters (thickness and relative position) of each deposition process on coating porosity were examined.

Glazes are attractive materials as they can be applied onto metallic or ceramic substrates to confer on them specific properties. They find numerous applications, from art ornamenting to protection against corrosion. Conventional process (vitreous glazing) requires a high temperature treatment (up to 1400 °C in some cases) to fuse glazes after their application on the surface to be covered. This treatment cannot be hence applied onto heat-sensitive substrates without severe degradation. Previous studies showed that manufacturing glaze layers by flame spraying prevents the substrate from thermal degradation. The coating formation mechanisms are different from the ones encountered with crystallized ceramic materials: the high surface tension of glazes prevents the particles from being totally spread (i.e., "dewetting" phenomena). Effects of glaze powder characteristics (chemical composition, particles morphology) on coatings structures were also studied. Furthermore, chemical analyses proved that flame spraying did not modify glaze compositions. The most adapted powder to flame spraying has been hence selected. This contribution describes the coating formation mechanism and discusses the influence of the feedstock powder physical properties on coating characteristics. It also estimates effects of spraying parameters on coatings morphology.

Large (3 x 3 x 0.05 m 3 ) refractory pieces (as the ones used for examples in smelters or incinerators) do not sustain regular glazing in a kiln, mostly due to high associated costs. Still, glass coatings could find use on such pieces due to their physical properties (durability, chemical inertia, tightness, etc.). Thermal spraying, using oxyacetylenic flame in particular, appears as a cost-effective solution permitting to circumvent the aforementioned disadvantages. This study aims at evaluating the quality of two types of coatings in terms of permeability. The first type considered coatings (resulting from a previous optimization of the spray operating parameters) sprayed directly on the substrates whereas the second one considered an additional brass underlayer manufactured by twin-wire electric arc spraying. The wettability of the glaze on the refractory substrate and on the brass underlayer was studied to comprehend the coating structural attributes (thickness, porosity, crazing, etc.) as well as their effects on the permeability. A specific measuring device was developed to assess permeability.

It is pointed out that properties corresponding to 3 to 5 % of gross domestic products are lost by corrosion in every year in advanced countries. Corrosion including oxidation is still one of the biggest technical problems which human beings are facing. The application of thermal spray coatings is one of the strongest weapons to prevent corrosion of steel and iron structures. The thermal spray coatings, however, are not panaceas to prevent corrosion. They involve many problems and it is important to understand the proper ways to apply the thermal spray coatings for corrosion resistance. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review on the science and technology against corrosion, oxidation and hot corrosion by the thermal spray coatings is presented.

In order to clarify the effects of two kinds of laser irradiation on plasma sprayed alumina coatings, microstructure, crystallization and mechanical properties of the spacemen were examined and heat conduction in the laser irradiation processes were analyzed by a finite element method. One is CW CO 2 laser irradiation of low power density, and the other is pulse excimer laser irradiation of high intensity but low energy density. Al 2 O 3 coatings were irradiated by CO 2 laser with low intensity, fine structure formation composed of α- Al 2 O 3 was confirmed and the surface roughness was improved although the hardness decreased a little. The modified layer was corresponding to the area that was heated above 1000 to 1100°C in the calculated maximum temperature distribution. It was also confirmed that the excimer laser pulse has a potential to improve the properties of surface layer to a depth of several micrometers.