A modified stainless steel coating, named as M-SUS here, was prepared by the air plasma spray process (APS) and the high velocity flame spray process (HVOF) and compared with a conventional stainless steel (JIS: SUS316L). Anodic polarization tests using NaCl, HCl solutions, neutral salt spray test, and exposure test in actual tank for HCl storage were employed for the evaluation of corrosion resistance. Structure of the coatings was investigated by use of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, electron probe micro-analyzer, and transmission electron microscope. It was found that the coating M-SUS exhibited a remarkably superior corrosion resistance by all tests mentioned above, compared with the conventional ones. Although both of the coatings compose of gamma-austenite (γ-Fe) and delta-ferrite (δ-Fe) phases, the coating M-SUS reveals much less oxide with chromium and more delta-phase enriched with molybdenum. Another exposure test using a mixed acid of 25%HNO3 and 75%HCl yielded that the δ-Fe was not etched out but the γ-Fe vanished, that is, the δ-Fe of M-SUS has a strong anti-corrosion property. It is considered that the superior corrosion resistance of coating M-SUS is attributed to the extensive formation of anti-corrosive δ-Fe and inhibition of chromium depletion resulting from oxide formation.

This study investigates the effect of alloying additions on the oxidation behavior of iron (Fe) and nickel-chromium (NiCr) powders during atmosphere plasma spraying. The chemical composition and phases of oxides in the particles as well as in the coatings are assessed for different powder mixtures and spraying parameters. The results show that oxygen content can be significantly reduced by adding silicon (Si) and boron (B) to iron powders and Si, B, and carbon (C) to NiCr. The preferential oxidation and subsequent vaporization of Si, B, and C from the surface of the sprayed particles are believed to play a major role in controlling oxidation in the APS process.

Two kinds of Fe-16Cr-30Mo-(C,B,P) alloy powders of different composition were thermal sprayed onto mild steel using HVOF and APS processes. Perfect amorphous coating was formed by HVOF and APS processes in both powders. The corrosion potential of the amorphous coatings sprayed by HVOF process was higher and the passive current density was lower than that of the amorphous coatings sprayed by APS process in 1N HCl solution. The coatings of perfect amorphous phase were little corroded after one week immersion tests and the corrosion rates of the amorphous coatings showed a fairly less value of 0.03 mm/y compared with Inconel 625 plate in 5N HCl solution at room temperature.

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.

Alumina coatings plasma-sprayed on alumina substrate with metallic bond coating (50Ni-50Cr) and on metal (Ni) substrate have been investigated in terms of adhesion strength and a veined structure formed in alumina coating. The veined structure is formed to heal up cracks and pores in sprayed alumina and substrate alumina after heat-treatment in air. The veined structure consists of oxides of NiAl 2 O 4 (spinel-type) and NiO (NaCl-type). This indicates that the metallic elements in the bond coating or the metallic substrate diffuse along the cracks and pores in alumina and react with alumina. The alumina coating with veined structure shows high strength due to the mechanical anchoring of veined oxide and chemical bonding.