In this study, a 3D two-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach is used to model the plasma jet and droplet-particle trajectory, velocity, and temperature achievable by suspension plasma spraying. A Reynolds stress model is used to account for turbulence and the effect of the substrate on the flow field and a Kelvin-Helmholtz Rayleigh-Taylor breakup model is used to predict the secondary breakup of the suspension. The focus of this work is on particle behavior near the substrate. Flat substrates placed at stand-off distances ranging from 40 to 60 mm are modeled to provide detailed information on particle impact behavior.

This study evaluates the wetting behavior of TiO2 coatings deposited by atmospheric and suspension plasma spraying. A design-of-experiments method is used to investigate the effect of different spray parameters on the water contact angle (WCA) of the coatings. Despite the hydrophilic nature of TiO2, coatings with WCAs as high as 140° were achieved by controlling various spray parameters. SEM imaging shows that these coatings have a cauliflower-like surface morphology that repels and sheds water.

In this study, atmospheric and suspension plasma spraying are used to create nickel-based electrodes with enhanced surface area as required for hydrogen production. Optimal spraying conditions were determined using a Taguchi design-of-experiments approach. Electrochemical double-layer capacitance measurements by cyclic voltammetry show that suspension plasma spray coatings have more surface area than coatings produced by atmospheric plasma spraying. SEM micrographs show that the surface microstructure of the sample with the largest surface area contains high amounts of cauliflower-like aggregates with an average diameter of 10 µm. In general, the combination of melted, semi-melted, and resolidified particles leads to the formation of deposits with high porosity, rougher surfaces, and consequently larger surface areas.