To prepare a dense, defect-free deposit of refractory metals relies not only on the droplets’ state, their temperature and velocity prior to impact on the surface of substrate and/or the precedent deposited layer, but also on the surface temperature of the substrate, whereupon the droplets impact. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation, in which the particles temperature, velocity, and the substrate temperature are studied all-in-one step to understand their influence on the deposit quality. The experimental results make our knowledge of the induction plasma spray of refractory metals process more integrated. Based on our estimation on the effect of all of the three factors, a set of optimized process parameters was established and proved by applying it in producing stationary deposits and coating layers. The results obtained distinguish the induction plasma spray a unique technique, which is ideal to be utilized in refractory metals deposit.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is evaluated as a promising technique for microstructure characterization of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings. OCT combines the principles of low coherence interferometry and optical heterodyne detection to obtain both a high sensitivity to weakly backscattered light and a high axial resolution. It can be used to accurately locate interfaces where the refractive index changes abruptly within translucent materials. In the present work, OCT cross-sectional images of thin yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings are considered. The interferograms forming the images are analyzed individually to successfully gather information related to light penetration depth inside coatings. The interferogram analysis allows the evaluation of the refractive index of the YSZ non-transformable tetragonal phase.

The aim of this paper is to compare the impact of plasma deposition processes onto Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes’ properties. Indeed, physical properties and microstructure of plasma sprayed coatings depend on the in-flight treatment of the particles in the plasma jet. Investigations of the relationships between spraying conditions and the in-flight properties of the particles upon impact for Air Plasma Spraying (APS) and Vacuum Plasma Spraying (VPS) were carried out using a MacLean & Anderson design of experiment. The In-flight particle properties were determined using the DPV 2000. For each type of plasma spraying process, coatings were elaborated with optimized plasma spraying conditions that allowed reaching the highest particle velocity upon impact keeping the highest temperature as possible. Coatings properties were then, evaluated by SEM and impedance spectroscopy.

The aim of this paper is the optimization of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) particle injection in a supersonic induction plasma torch to improve the reproducibility of this plasma deposition process. Indeed, the optimization is necessary to eradicate clogging in the supersonic nozzle due to the constriction of the nozzle. Investigations of the relationships between the parameters of particle’injection and the in-flight properties of the particles are carried out using an ANOVA experiment design. The in-flight particle properties were determined using two commercial systems, the DPV 2000 associated with the CPS 2000 (temperature, velocity and diameter of in-flight cold particles) and the Control Vision system (divergence of plasma jet imagery). First results have shown the necessity of a new design of the injection probe; development that allowed to reach a good reproducibility in terms of particle velocity and molten state.

Nanopowders of amorphous SiO 2 , with typical particle sizes of 30-80 nm, were treated under non-equilibrium plasma conditions created by a capacitively coupled (CC) RF discharge in pure methane or ethane. The gas flow rate was varied between 0.02-0.06 slpm, with reactor pressures maintained between 1000 and 5000 Pa, and applied RF power inputs between 700 and 1500 W. The plasma properties were monitored through measurements of the C 2 rotational and the atomic hydrogen excitation temperatures. The compositions of the gases that passed through the plasma were analyzed by mass-spectrometry. In spite of the evidence indicating the presence of C n H 2n+2 and C n H 2n (n=1-3) species, as well as acetylene, in the discharge, the homogeneous formation of soot was not observed. At the same time, introduced nanoparticles acted as centers for the inception and growth of C:H thin coatings in the form of polymer-like hydrocarbon layers, whose thickness lay between < 5 - 30 nm. The results of TEM, IR spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric and precision calorimetric analyses performed on the plasma treated powders provided evidence for the formation of an amorphous, high density C:H matrix on particles' surfaces.

Relationships between the electrical properties of thermally sprayed titania coatings and their microstructure have been investigated. As far as possible, a broad range of microstructures was produced by using various processes of plasma spraying with different powder size ranges and variations of the plasma operating parameters. The two spraying processes consisted of DC plasma spraying and RF plasma spraying. Physical properties of plasma-sprayed coatings are generally influenced by their microstructure. But the electrical properties of plasma-sprayed titania coatings are known to be strongly influenced by their stoichiometry. It is the reason why coatings with identical stoichiometry were compared. It was found that electrical resistivity was directly linked to the quality of the contact between the splats and their density through the titania plasma-sprayed coatings.

In the continuing progress of fuel cell technology, CeO 2 double doped electrolytes appears to be promising for lowering the SOFC's working temperatures. Ceria electrolytes have better ionic conductivities than YSZ but, at low oxygen partial pressures, the chemical reduction of ceria leads to increasing electronic conduction. Double doping of the ceria increases the electrolytic conduction range without changing its conductivity. To avoid stress development within the ceria crystallographic structure, the dopants mix must have a mean ionic radius as close as possible to the critical ionic radius. Ceria electrolytes with various compositions and dopant concentrations are synthesized with a combinatorial chemistry approach. To synthesize new electrolytes, solution plasma spraying with nitrate salt precursor is used. The reaction is completed and nanocrystalline thin layers of ceramic are formed in the plasma. Comparative studies of plasma spraying techniques, with YSZ powder plasma spraying as electrolyte reference, were performed. Also, comparative impedance spectroscopy measurements are to be performed to validate the double doping hypothesis and thence to identify the best electrolytes in the suite of over 300 new materials.

Ceria (CeO2) based electrolytes have been considered for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) for more than 20 years. There are however some limitations to this usage that this study has tried to address, indeed the study objective has been that of synthesizing and thermal spraying thin layers (50 - 100 µm) of doped CeO2 by the technique of suspension plasma spraying, using radio frequency (RF) plasma technology. Various dopant combinations and concentrations have been selected for this work in order to increase the useful partial oxygen pressure range for satisfactory ionic conductivity development, thereby increasing the anionic conductivity and preventing CeO2 reduction in fuel cell service. Ceria possesses the fluorite crystal structure at low temperatures but does not have enough oxygen vacancies to be a good ionic conductor. In ceria the cerium have 4+ oxidation state within the fluorite structure, and by substituting a certain amount of Ce4+ ions by trivalent dopant ions, oxygen vacancies are induced into the structure. Recent studies have demonstrated that at low temperatures doped ceria seems to be a better electrolyte than doped zirconia. Also, it seems that dopants with ionic radii close to Ce4+ ions give rise to better ionic conductivities. The doped ceria conductivity increases with the dopant concentration because more oxygen vacancies are created, but at higher concentrations vacancy ordering occurs which results in decreased ionic conductivity.

Thermal plasma spraying is a suitable technique for hydroxyapatite [HA, Ca 10 (P0 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ] coating preparation. Suspension Plasma Spraying (SPS) is a newly developed process based on a suspension of fine (<10 μm) or even ultrafine (<100 μm) powders, axially fed into the RF plasma through an atomization probe. The atomization of the suspension results in microdroplets (20 μm in size). They are flash dried, melted and finally impacted onto the substrate to solidify and build the coating. The aqueous suspension of HA is chemically synthesized. Our experiments included variations of the plasma gas composition (Ar/O 2 , Ar/H 2 ), the plasma deposition reactor pressure. Characterizations techniques (e.g. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope) were applied to resultant SPS HA coatings which possessed good crystallinity and about 3% weight α-TCP and lime. The texture examination has shown that preferential crystal orientation followed the (001) Miller's plane family. SPS by RF induction plasma has proved to be a reliable process for the production of thick (200 μm) HA coatings with high deposition rate (>150 μm/min).