Controlling particle state is important to not only achieve the required microstructure and properties in coatings but also to clearly isolate and understand the role of other clusters of variables (such as the various substrate and deposition conditions) on the aforementioned attributes. This is important to design coatings for high performance applications and in the ongoing efforts towards achieving prime reliance. This study examines the variabilities in particle state and explores a few strategies to control them for improved reproducibility with the aid of in-flight particle and plume sensors. The particle state can be controlled by controlling the torch parameters or by directly controlling the particle state itself via feedback from particle and plume sensors such as DPV2000 & TDS. There exist at least a few control protocols to control the particle state (predominantly temperature and velocity) with judicious choice of critical parameters. In the present case the particle state has been controlled by varying the critical torch parameters in a narrow range using 8% YSZ of angular morphology (fused and crushed) with 10-75 microns size distributions in conjunction with a N 2 -H 2 laminar (non-swirl) plasma. Two important results emerge. (1) The particle state resulting from averaged individual particle measurements (DPV 2000) is surprisingly stable with variabilities in T < 1% and variability in V of < 4%. Ensemble approaches yield a somewhat higher variability (5%). In spite of this the variability in basic coating attributes such as a thickness and weight is surprisingly large. (2) Applying a much simpler control strategy to only control the particle injection and hence the particle trajectory results in reduced variabilities in coating attributes.

The resulting thermal and mechanical properties of atmospheric plasma sprayed coatings, are strongly dependent on the particle in-flight characteristics, which in turn depend on the spray gun variables. In industrial production the spray gun variables are set to constant values and closed loop controlled. However, calibrations of the variable levels are regularly performed and variations within specified tolerance limits allowed, which cause variations in the particle in-flight characteristics. The objective of this work was to investigate how these calibration variations affect the particle in-flight characteristics and the final coating properties. The investigation was performed using three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations. The process model correspond to the SM-F-100 Connex gun, spraying ZrO 2 for thermal barrier coating applications. Particle in-flight characteristics were calculated using a stochastic discrete particle model. Validation of the model was performed using the optical DPV2000 system, and fair agreement was found. Voltage, arc current, primary, secondary and carrier gas flow rates were systematically varied one factor at a time and their separate effects on the particle in-flight characteristics evaluated. The most important variables influencing the particle characteristics were current and voltage. Final simulations considering extreme cases enabled determination of the particle characteristics limiting conditions due to tolerance variations. Coating microstructure evaluations of two of these extreme cases revealed that the total porosity could vary up to 4% due to tolerance variations.

A process control tool has been developed for air plasma spraying of a NiAl (bond coat) and Al 2 O 3 (top coat) coating systems. The process is employed at Volvo Aero Corporation for abrasive purposes, such as knife-edge applications on compressor parts. In-flight particle temperatures, velocities and diameters were measured by the DPV2000 system. Several samples were sprayed and the coating microstructures were evaluated using Image Analysis techniques on optical and scanning electron microscope images. Top and bond coat thickness, oxides, porosity, grit blast residues, delaminations, surface roughness (on top, bond and substrate) and tensile strength were evaluated. Statistical regression analysis was then used to establish relationships between process parameters (i.e. current and primary gas flow), particle in-flight characteristics (i.e. velocity and temperature), microstructure properties, and mechanical properties. The equations derived were finally used for development of a tool, which can be used by the operator for on-line monitoring and control of the coating characteristics based on information of the current particle inflight characteristics. The tool makes it possible to continuously adjust the process set points, ensuring a high reproducibility and stability of the process.

A method for creation of a process window for on-line monitoring and controlling of the particle velocity and temperature during plasma spraying in order to enable desired coating microstructure is presented. The desired coating is specified by determination of the ranges within which the different microstructure features and the powder deposition efficiency are allowed to vary. Multiple linear regression models, relating the particle velocity and particle temperature to the coating criterions is utilized to successively delimit the particle velocity and temperature ranges. This results in a process window, giving the limits within which the particle velocity and temperature are allowed to vary in order for the desired coating to be produced.

Plasma spraying is a very complex process, controlled by a large number of process parameters. The spray gun parameters control the plasma plume and thereby the velocity and temperature of the particles in the plasma. Some of the spray gun parameters are difficult or impossible to control, but variations of them give rise to fluctuations in the microstructure of the sprayed thermal barrier coating and thereby low reproducibility. By movement of the control from the spray gun to direct control of the particle properties in the plasma this problem will be avoided, and it should result in better process control, higher quality of the final coating and thus improved reproducibility. In this study, the influence of the plasma spray process on the coating microstructure was investigated. An orthogonal factorial designed experiment was performed, where eight process parameters were varied, resulting in 16 different coatings. The particle properties were observed in-situ with the optical measurement system DPV 2000. The microstructure of the coatings was studied using optical microscopy and the amount of different features, i.e. cracks and pores, was quantified. Multiple linear regression was used to find models describing the relation between the spray gun parameters and the particle properties, between the spray gun parameters and the microstructure, and between the particle properties and the microstructure. The results showed that the spray gun parameters well describe the variation in particle velocity and particle temperature. Further, it was found that particle velocity, particle temperature, spray angle, and substrate temperature are the most important parameters concerning influence on the coating microstructure. However, their influence on the different microstructure features varied. The study implies that focus can be set on one or two particle properties measured in the plasma, instead of the numerous spray gun parameters.