Abstract Nanocrystalline Inconel 718 and Ni powders were prepared using two approaches: methanol and cryogenic attritor milling. High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying of milled Inconel 718 powders was then utilized to produce Inconel 718 coatings with a nanocrystalline grain size. Isothermal heat treatments were carried out to study the thermal stability of the methanol milled and cryomilled Inconel 718 powders, as well as the HVOF Inconel 718 coatings. All nanocrystalline Inconel 718 powders and coatings studied herein exhibited significant thermal stability against grain growth as evidenced by a grain size around 100 nm following annealing at 1273 K for 60 min. In the case of the cryomilled nanocrystalline Ni powders, isothermal grain growth behavior was studied, from which the parameters required for the prediction of the microstructural evolution during a non-isothermal annealing were acquired. The theoretical simulation of grain growth behavior of nanocrystalline Ni during non-isothermal annealing conditions yields results that are in good correspondence with the experimental results.

Abstract FeMnCrSi alloys have been developed and studied over the past several years with an emphasis on their use as coatings on CA6NM stainless steel hydroturbine components. Much of the work conducted has focused on the optimization of cavitation resistance through chemical composition changes, the use of different thermal spraying (ASP, HVOF, HVAF) and welding (PTA) processes, and post-treatments such as shot-peening, cold working, and PTA remelting. The aim of this current work is to present a compilation of published articles that report on the research that has been done. Among the trends observed is that coating density and cavitation resistance improve with increasing particle velocity, particularly for HVOF-kerosene spraying. In regard to post-treatments, cold working was found to most effective, reducing cavitation mass loss (in PTA FeMnCrSi coatings) by a factor of nearly two.

Abstract This paper presents the results of an emission study on plasma spraying equipment and processes. Various measurements and samples were taken outside the spraying booth, at the operator level, and in the suction ducts upstream and downstream of the filtration equipment, creating a detailed profile of the aerosol emitted by the injection of NiAl powder in the plasma jet. The results show the existence of two families of particles, one ranging in size from 0.5 to 20 µm, the other of nanometric proportions. Concentrations of the larger particles were in the range of 600 cm-3 in the booth. As for submicron particles, concentrations of up to 107 cm-3 were observed but decreased significantly at the outlet of the filter system. The aerosol samples examined were dominated by a nanometric background of aggregates made up of oxidized nickel particles. Aggregates up to 100 nm in size, consisting of finer particles in the 5-20 nm size range, were found in high concentrations upstream of the filtration system. Great vigilance is thus required to protect equipment operators, an important part of which is placing dust collectors as close as possible to spraying booths connected by short, straight pipe runs.

Abstract This paper addresses a need for information on nanoparticle emissions and related issues such as worker exposure, filtration efficiency, and dustiness. A survey has been conducted on the working conditions and safety measures used in thermal spray companies and the results compared to scientific literature and previous surveys. Responses to questions on matters of health and safety reveal a lack of information and awareness of the risks posed by the emissions of ultrafine particles generated by thermal spraying processes.

Abstract In thermal spray processes, the characteristics of in-flight particles (velocity and temperature) have a significant effect on coating performance. Although many imaging systems and algorithms have been developed for identifying and tracking in-flight particles, most are limited in terms of accuracy. One key to solving the tracking problem is to get an algorithm that can distinguish different particles in each image frame. As the study showed, when noise and interference are treated, particles are more readily identified in the background, leading to more accurate size and position measurements with respect to time. This approach is demonstrated and the results discussed.

Abstract Plasma spray coating has achieved outstanding technological and commercial progress. However the underlying fundamentals still require a better understanding to overcome some limitations coming from, in particular, the instabilities of the arc and the strong erosion of the electrodes. In this paper we present experimental investigations of the fluctuating behavior of a Sulzer Metco F4 gun operated at atmosphere. The temporal evolution of the torch voltage and current, and of the plasma jet emission have been measured, hi addition, an optical fiber inserted inside the gun allows to measure fluctuations of the arc emission directly. Depending on the external parameters, different modes of operation have been identified. In the "restrike" mode which prevails for spraying-relevant operation conditions, detailed analysis of the voltage signals and corresponding arc and jet light emission reveals different categories of voltage drops corresponding to arc interruptions or reconnections. Spectral analysis of the different fluctuation signals shows clearly-defined peaks in the frequency range 3-30 kHz which are attributed to the arc motion and restrike inside the torch. The dependence of these peaks on operation conditions in terms of gas flows and composition, and gas injection geometry is presented. In addition a study of the effect of electrode aging on the torch fluctuations is reported.

Abstract A novel technique and an instrument for on-line, quantitative imaging diagnostics and process control in thermal spraying have been developed and tested in laboratory and industrial conditions. In-flight spray particles are imaged by their natural luminosity with a short-exposure, digital CCD camera system. Particle images are processed using digital image processing techniques in a PC computer. The number of particles per frame and the spatially resolved particle velocities are calculated from the images. Spectrally resolved image information is further used to determine pyrometric two-color particle temperature. A number of different modes of data presentation have been developed. The developed instrument can be used to determine particle number, velocity and temperature distributions of individual in-flight particles from the imaged region of interest of the plume. Dividing the imaged area into smaller sections, spatial distributions of these parameters can be studied. SprayWatch system provides a technically simple, easy to operate, single imaging instrument, which can provide a visual overview of the spray plume in combination with quantitative evaluation of the most important spray particle parameters. In this paper examples of using the monitoring system with plasma and HVOF spraying are presented. Preliminary test results of using a semiconductor laser generated light sheet to detect cold particles is also demonstrated.

Abstract The properties of thermally sprayed coatings significantly depend on the alloy composition and the adjusted process parameters. In addition to the powder certificate it may be useful to analyse the chemical composition of the sprayed powder during the spraying process itself. The principle of composition analysis is similar to the chemical analysis in an ICP plasma but the boundary conditions are more complex because the sprayed powder should not be completely evaporated in a thermal spray process. Nevertheless all thermal spraying processes lead to a certain evaporation of the species and to excitation of atomic states. The transition into the ground state occurs under emission of characteristic lines. The intensity of these lines is influenced by the plasma temperature, the particle temperature, the temperature dependent evaporation rate of the alloying elements and the powder feed rate. In consideration of the boundary conditions and the information from a detailed analysis of the emitted spectra the lines can be used to quantify the chemical composition of the sprayed alloys online. The theory of the principle for on-line analysing the chemical composition will be deduced and the first experimental validation will be presented.

Abstract This paper presents a mathematical model of the in-flight oxidation of spherical particles during thermal spray deposition process. The model includes analysis of the mechanical and thermal behavior of the powder particles. The former accounts for acceleration and deceleration of the particles at the spray distance under different fluid velocities. The thermal behavior takes into account heating, melting, cooling and possible solidification as the particle travel towards the substrate. A finite-difference method is used to solve the thermal energy conservation equation of the particles. The model includes nonequilibrium calculations of the phase change phenomena in the liquid-solid (mushy) zone. The growth of the oxide layer at the particle surface is represented by a modified boundary condition, which includes finite-rate oxidation. The results obtained give the interrelations between various process parameters and the oxidation phenomenon and agree with experimental observation.

Abstract Molybdenum splats were produced at three plasma conditions on steel substrates preheated to three temperatures. Morphology of splats and corresponding craters formed on substrates were observed; dimensions of splats and craters were measured with an optical non-contact interferometer. It is found that substrate is significantly melted and deformed upon impact of the droplet, which leads to the formation of flower like splats and craters. On average, only about 36 to 53 % of the areas covered by splats were in good metallurgical/mechanical contact with substrate. Normalized crater volume increases with droplet size and the contact is improved for the high particle energy/high substrate temperature condition as compared with low particle energy/medium substrate energy condition. Splat morphology and crater formation is explained based on impinging jet heat transfer model.

Abstract For components that are required to function in sliding or rubbing contact with other parts, degradation often occurs through wear due to friction between the two contacting surfaces. Depending on the nature of the materials being used, the addition of water as a lubricant may introduce corrosion and accelerate the degradation process. To improve the performance and increase the life of these components, coatings may be applied to the regions subject to the greatest wear. These coatings may be engineered to provide internal pockets of solid lubricant in order to improve the tribological performance. In the present study, coatings containing a solid lubricant were produced by thermal spraying feedstock powders consisting of a blend of tungsten carbide-metal and a fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer-based material. The volume content of this Teflon-based material in the feedstock ranged from 3.5 to 36%. These feedstocks were deposited using a high velocity oxy-fuel system to produce coatings having a level of porosity below 2%. Sliding wear tests in which coated rotors were tested in contact with stationary carbon-graphite disks identified an optimum level of Teflon-based material in the feedstock formulation required to produce coatings exhibiting minimum wear. This optimum level was in the range of 7-17% by volume and depended on the composition of the cermet constituent. Reductions in mass loss for the couples on the order of 50% (an improvement in performance by a factor of approximately two) were obtained for the best-performing compositions, as compared to couples m which the coating contained no solid lubricant.

Abstract Thermally sprayed coatings of high performance thermoplastics are of interest especially for the chemical industry for anti-corrosion applications at elevated temperatures. In this paper coatings of polyetherether-keton (PEEK) and polyphenylen-sulphide (PPS) have been produced by simple flamespraying. They have been investigated by optical metallography, FT-IR analysis and DSC-analysis. Among the coating properties also the "in-flight" particles have been studied by wipe-tests and FT-IR analysis in order to assess possible decomposition effects during spraying.

Abstract A reaction-formed NiAl intermetallic compound (IMC) powder has been deposited as a coating onto low carbon steel test coupons by the High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) process using both gaseous and liquid fuels. The microstructure of this coating has been examined using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction and was found to depend on spraying conditions. Oxidation tests on the coating in air, between the temperatures of 800°C-1200°C, revealed that an α-alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) scale formed on the coating's surface. At 1200°C, a nickel spinel (NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 ) and haematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) phases were observed. Diffusion studies were performed to calculate an activation energy for iron ion diffusion in NiAl.

Abstract The cavitation erosion of various hardfacing coatings was investigated by using a vibratory cavitation apparatus according to ASTM G 32. Coatings of austenitic stainless steel containing 10 % cobalt were applied by arc welding. High velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF) was employed to produce coatings of various kinds of cermets and metallic alloys. For each coating, the steady state erosion rate was determined and the effect of process parameters and alloy composition on the microstructure and erosion rate was investigated. The morphology and microstructure of the coatings before and after cavitation testing were analysed by metallographic methods in order to study the erosion mechanism. It is demonstrated that the high resistance to cavitation erosion of the cobalt-alloyed steel can even further increase when the fluxed core arc welding process and an improved pulsed power source are used to produce the coatings. The erosion resistance of the HVOF coatings, however, was limited by pores, microcracks and oxides and did not significantly exceed the level typical for bulk stainless steel 316 L.

Abstract Effect of nozzle geometry (such as throat diameter of a barrel nozzle, exit diameter and exit divergence angle of a divergent nozzle) on HVOF thermal spraying process (thermodynamical behavior of combustion gas and spray particles) was investigated by numerical simulation and experiments with Jet Kote II system. The process changes inside the nozzle as obtained by numerical simulation studies were related to the coating properties. A NiCrAlY alloy powder was used for the experimental studies. While the throat diameter of the barrel nozzle was found to have only a slight effect on the microstructure, hardness, oxygen content and deposition efficiency of the coatings, the change in divergent section length (rather than exit diameter and exit divergence angle) had a significant effect. With increase in divergent section length of the nozzle, the amount of oxide content of the NiCrAlY coatings decreased and the deposition efficiency increased significantly. Also, with increase in the exit diameter of the divergent nozzle, the gas temperature and the degree of melting of the particle decreased. On the other hand the calculated particle velocity showed a slight increase while the gas velocity increased significantly.

Abstract Analytical correlations between the flattening characteristics and the Reynolds number and the spraying angle are obtained. The final splat thickness is shown to decrease and the final splat radius is found to vary nonuniformly with a decrease in the spraying angle. Analytical formulae are obtained describing the pressure distribution in a flattening droplet along the droplet-substrate interface during thermal spraying at off-normal angles. The magnitudes of droplet-substrate microadhesion, deformation of the substrate surface and the coating porosity depend upon the spraying angle. The spraying angle 45° can be recommended as a reasonable limit for off-normal thermal spraying for achieving the quality coatings. The theoretical results obtained on flattening characteristics agree with those of the experimentally observed tendencies of thermal spraying at off-normal angles. The theoretical results for % relative porosity are in a reasonable agreement with experimental observations at off-normal angles between 30° and 90°.

Abstract Kinetic and heat transfer analysis have been undertaken in order to predict the decomposition of polymer feedstock particles during thermal spraying. Thermogravimetric measurements indicated that the decomposition of PMMA had an order of reaction of unity and an activation energy of 135 kJ mol -1 . The polymer decomposition temperature is shown to be a function of the particle residence time in the flame and is much higher than in conventional polymer processing. This has an important influence on process modelling, since the choice of decomposition temperature used in the heat transfer analysis has a major effect on the calculated temperature profiles. The work shows that realistic predictive data can only be obtained by using the dynamic decomposition temperature. Application of the model indicates that only the surface layers of the polymer feedstock particles undergo significant decomposition during plasma spraying and that the feedstock injection position is an important control parameter.

Abstract 316L stainless steel powder was sprayed by a high-pressure HVOF process. Effects of powder size and the pressure in the combustion chamber on the velocity and temperature of sprayed particles were studied by using an optical instrument firstly at the substrate position. A strong negative correlation between the particle diameter and temperature was found whereas the correlation between the diameter and the velocity was not significant. The pressure in the combustion chamber affected the velocity of sprayed particles significantly whereas the particles' temperature remained largely unchanged. In-situ curvature measurement was employed in order to sturdy the process of stress generation during HVOF spraying. From the measured curvature changes, the intensity of peening action and the resultant compressive stress by HVOF sprayed particles were found to increase with the kinetic energy of the sprayed particles. The results were further used to estimate the stress distribution within the coatings.

Abstract Fe-Cr(-Mo) alloy coatings were thermal sprayed by different processes of LPPS, HVOF and HPS. The as-sprayed coating by LPPS is perfectly amorphous and coatings by other processes contain partly crystalline phases. The amorphous phases crystallize at 773 K or more and shows a high hardness of about 1000 to 1400 DPN just after crystallization. The anodic polarization curves of the coatings shift from active to passive state in 1N H2SO4 and 1N HCl solutions. The coatings obtained by LPPS indicate the lowest active and passive current densities and possess the best corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of the coatings obtained by other processes are better than a SUS316L stainless steel coating. The LPPS coating of Fe-Cr-C-P alloy is not attacked on immersion test in 6% FeCl3·6H2O solution containing 0.05N HCl at the corrosion potential, while large pit corrosion is developed in a SUS316L stainless steel sheet.

Abstract Plasma spraying is a complicated process involving many partly interdependent parameters, which are in industrial spray environments difficult to optimise without laborious and time consuming experiments. In this work a non-intensified CCD camera without any external illumination is used for in-flight particle visualisation. Particle visualisation is based purely on the spontaneous light emitted by the hot particles. The motivation for this work is to outline the possibilities to develope a CCD based, low cost and rugged in-situ measurement system suitable also for industrial use. The measurement method has been tested with Plasmatechnik A3000S plasma spraying equipment using fused and crushed Al2O3 powder. Using digital image processing techniques relative particle concentrations and particle velocities have been calculated from the acquired images. These results have been correlated with wear resistance and deposition efficiency of the coatings produced with different powder feed rate and powder port adjustments. Coatings were also produced using both new and worn electrodes. The benefits and limitations of the method are discussed and the measurement results are compared against measurements made using laser sheet illumination, which can give information concerning also the colder and/or smaller particles not visible for the passive CCD system.