This paper describes the basic design and operation of a low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) system in use at Sandia National Laboratories. To demonstrate the versatility of the system, Sandia engineers, working in collaboration with the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, produced thin (< 100 μm), dense yttria-stabilized zirconia coatings using three deposition mechanisms: liquid droplet, vapor, and mixed mode (vapor and droplet). Despite slight differences in equipment configuration, the work duplicates many of the results obtained in previous investigations, confirming the advantages of LPPS over other thin film deposition techniques.

An earlier study reported an investigation of the mechanical properties of cold sprayed aluminum and the effect of annealing on those properties. In that study, cold spray coatings approximately one centimeter thick were prepared using three different feedstock powders: Valimet H-10, Valimet H-20, and Brodmann Flomaster. ASTM E8 tensile specimens were machined from these coatings. Each material was tested in two conditions: as-sprayed and after a 300°C, 22 hour air anneal. The as-sprayed material showed a high ultimate strength and low ductility, < 1% elongation. The annealed samples showed a reduction in the ultimate strength but a dramatic increase in ductility, up to 10% elongation. Microstructural examinations and fractography clearly showed a change in the fracture mechanism between the as-sprayed and annealed material, but insufficient data was available to conclusively explain the ductility increase at that time. Since then, Kikuchi mapping of the Valimet H-10 material in the as-sprayed and annealed conditions has been conducted. Kikuchi mapping allows indexing of grains, identification of grain boundaries, and phase identification using backscattered diffraction patterns in an SEM. The data shows that significant recrystallization within the splats upon annealing has occurred. No significant crystal growth across splat boundaries is observed. The data demonstrate that the mechanism of ductility increase in annealed cold spray deposits is recrystallization of the base aluminum material.

Use of graded coatings is a well-known strategy for creating materials with continuously changing physical properties. The stiffness (modulus of elasticity) and density of flyer plates used in light gas gun testing directly influences the shape of the shock wave produced by the flyer plate. Many strategies exist for creating flyer plates that produce variable shock profiles, including stacked foils and powder compaction. We have investigated graded thermal spray coatings as an alternative method for creating flyer plates that produce variable shock profiles. An initial proof of concept demonstration has been completed by air plasma spraying a graded coating of Cu & Al onto a copper substrate. This composite flyer plate was tested in a light gas gun to demonstrate that a non-linear shock profile can be created. The plasma spray strategies used to create a group of similar graded density impactors are discussed. Initial light gas gun testing shows that graded density impactors can be created using thermal spray coatings.

The effect of torch hardware, operating parameters, and powder type on substrate surface heat flux was quantitatively investigated using calorimeters. The Sulzer-Metco 6P oxyacetylene torch with two nozzles and two air caps and the Alamo PG-550 torch were studied using designed experiments to show the effects of total combustible gas flow, oxy-fuel ratio, air flow, and standoff distance on surface heat flux. Air caps which directed cooling air toward the flame produced lower heat flux than air caps providing gun cooling. For the 6P torch, nozzle geometry did not have a significant effect on heat flux. With low air flow rates, both torches exhibited similar heat fluxes. At high air flows, the surface heat flux of the PG-550 was larger than that of the 6P.

The effect of hardware on operating parameters and the resultant coating are qualitatively known; however, the quantitative effects have not been well defined. This study quantitatively characterizes particle temperature and velocity for the Sulzer-Metco 6P oxy-acetylene torch with 3 different nozzles and 3 air caps and also, the Alamo PG-550 then relates those data to particle diagnostics, deposition efficiency and coating microstructure. Both torches were evaluated using statistically designed experiments where the process inputs of oxy-fuel ratio, total combustible gas flow, and standoff distance were varied. Both torches can access similar regions of particle temperature - particle velocity space. Increasing total combustible gas flow increased particle velocity with little effect on particle temperature. Increasing oxy-fuel ratio decreased particle temperature with little effect on particle velocity. Higher particle velocity and particle temperature conditions yielded denser, less porous coatings. Flame cooling air caps increase the particle speed while decreasing particle temperature. Nozzles which inject powder directly into the flame jets significantly increase particle temperature as compared to nozzles which do not. Deposition efficiency is shown to not only be affected by particle temperature and particle velocity where hotter and faster usually increase efficiency, but is also dependent on the distribution of particles within the plume.

Cold spray is adding another dimension to thermal spray coating processes with numerous applications that have yet to be realized. Current activities in the field of Cold Spray are rapidly moving from R&D to commercial applications in industry. To successfully commercialize the technology, cost effective, low maintenance, highly reliable, easy to operate equipment must be available and supported that is designed so that the spray processes can be controlled and repeated. With the growth of this technology there will be a demand for laboratory systems to perform applications research and development as well as high volume production machines for specific industrial applications. The recent focus of Cold Spray equipment development has been to perfect nozzles and gun assemblies, gas heaters, gas flow, powder feed, and process control. This paper describes the automated equipment that is available in the market today and presents advances in nozzle and gas heater performance as well as development of a laboratory powder feeder. This equipment will serve as the baseline for equipment that will soon be installed in industry for commercial production applications.

Cold spray, a new member of the thermal spray process family, can be used to prepare dense, thick metal coatings. It has tremendous potential as a spray forming process. However, it is well known that significant cold work occurs during the cold spray deposition process. This cold work results in hard coatings but relatively brittle bulk deposits. We have investigated the mechanical properties of cold sprayed aluminum and the effect of annealing on those properties. Cold spray coatings approximately one centimeter thick were prepared using three different feedstock powders: Valimet H-10, Valimet H-20, and Broadman Flomaster. ASTM E8 tensile specimens were machined from these coatings and tested using standard tensile testing procedures. Each material was tested in two conditions: as-sprayed and after a 300°C, 22 h air anneal. The as-sprayed material showed high ultimate strength and low ductility, < 1% elongation. The annealed samples showed a reduction in ultimate strength but a dramatic increase in ductility, up to 10% elongation. The annealed samples exhibited mechanical properties similar to wrought 1100 H14 aluminum. Microstructural examination and fractography clearly showed a change in fracture mechanism between the as-sprayed and annealed material. These results indicate good potential for cold spray as a bulk forming process.

Cold Spray is a rapidly emerging technology with numerous applications that have not yet been realized. With the growth of this technology there will be a demand for laboratory systems to perform applications research and development as well as high volume production machines for specific industrial applications. The recent focus of Cold Spray equipment development has been to perfect nozzles and gun assemblies, gas heaters, gas flow, powder feed, and process control. This paper describes the automated equipment that is available in the market and presents some performance data. This equipment will serve as the prototype for the industrial equipment that will soon be designed and installed in industry for commercial production applications.

The conditions of particle injection into the side of plasma jets play an important role in determining the microstructure and properties of sprayed deposits. However, few investigations have been carried out on this topic. The current work presents the results of an experimental and computational study of the influence of injector geometry and gas mass flow rate on particle dynamics at injector exit and in the plasma jet. Two injector geometries were tested: a straight tube and a curved tube with various radii of curvature. Zirconia powders with different particle size range and morphology were used. A possible size segregation effect in the injector was analyzed from the space distribution of particles collected on a stick tape. The spray pattern in the plasma jet was monitored from the thermal radiation emitted by particles. An analysis of the particle behavior in the injector and mixing of the carrier-gas flow with the plasma jet was carried out using a 3-D computational fluids dynamics code.

The partially stabilized zirconia powders used to plasma spray thermal barrier coatings typically exhibit broad particle-size distributions. There are conflicting reports in the literature about the extent of injection-induced particle-sizing effects in air plasma-sprayed materials. If significant spatial separation of finer and coarser particles in the jet occurs, then one would expect it to play an important role in determining the microstructure and properties of deposits made from powders containing a wide range of particle sizes. This paper presents the results of a study in which a commercially available zirconia powder was fractionated into fine, medium, and coarse cuts and sprayed at the same torch conditions used for the ensemble powder. Diagnostic measurements of particle surface temperature, velocity, and number-density distributions in the plume for each size-cut and for the ensemble powder are reported. Deposits produced by traversing the torch back and forth to produce a raised bead were examined metallographically to study their shape and location with respect to the torch centerline and to look at their internal microstructure. The results show that, for the torch conditions used in this study, the fine, medium, and coarse size-cuts all followed the same mean trajectory. No measurable particle segregation effects were observed. Considerable differences in coating microstructure were observed. These differences can be explained by the different particle properties measured in the plume.

The fluid and particle dynamics of a High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Thermal Spray torch are analyzed using computational and experimental techniques. Three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results are presented for a curved aircap used for coating interior surfaces such as engine cylinder bores. The device analyzed is similar to the Metco Diamond Jet Rotating Wire (DJRW) torch. The feed gases are injected through an axisymmetric nozzle into the curved aircap. Premixed propylene and oxygen are introduced from an annulus in the nozzle, while cooling air is injected between the nozzle and the interior wall of the aircap. The combustion process is modeled using a single-step finite- rate chemistry model with a total of 9 gas species which includes dissociation of combustion products. A continually-fed steel wire passes through the center of the nozzle and melting occurs at a conical tip near the exit of the aircap. Wire melting is simulated computationally by injecting liquid steel particles into the flow field near the tip of the wire. Experimental particle velocity measurements during wire feed were also taken using a Laser Two-Focus (L2F) velocimeter system. Flow fields inside and outside the aircap are presented and particle velocity predictions are compared with experimental measurements outside of the aircap.