In order to improve the quality of coating, the causes of defect are analyzed in this paper. The research innovative uses single factor experiment combined with MATLAB to fit out the relationship between porosity and laser power, scanning speed, thickness, overlap rate. The multivariate quadratic equation is derived in this paper. It provides a solution to avoid defects in the aspect of laser cladding process.

Polyimide-copper layers consisting of individual capsule-like splats were one-step fabricated by solution precursor flame spray through controlling the reaction between dianhydride and diamine dissolved in copper nanoparticles containing dimethylformamide solvent. The polyimide splat exhibited hollow structure with an inner pore of 10-15 µm and a tiny hole of 1-5 µm on its top surface. Transversal cut by focused ion beam milling of the individual splats and scanning electron microscopy characterization further revealed unique dispersion of the copper nanoparticles inside the polyimide shell. After 1000 h exposure to the testing synthetic seawater, continuous release of copper from the coatings containing up to 30wt.%Cu kept remarkable. Antifouling performances of the constructed layers were assessed by examining colonization behaviors of typical bacteria Bacillus sp. and marine algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chlorella on their surfaces. Distribution of the inorganic nanoparticles endows the polyimide coatings with special capsule structure and exciting hydrophobicity and antifouling performances. The liquid flame spray route and the encapsulated structure of the polyimide-Cu coatings would open a new window for designing and constructing environment-friendly marine antifouling layers for long-term applications.

Plasma spraying ZrB 2 ceramic coating is considered as potential candidate method of Thermal Protective System. While the application of plasma sprayed ZrB 2 coating is restricted due to its oxidation. Therefore, it is important to study the oxidation behavior of the ZrB 2 material. In this research, oxidation behavior of the ZrB 2 ceramic, which achieve different density by using SPS and pressureless sintering, is studied to explain the oxidation behavior of plasma spraying ZrB 2 ceramic coating. The oxidation behavior of ZrB 2 ceramics is investigated using SEM, XRD and EDS. The ZrB 2 –based ceramic coating is gravely oxidized at 600°C, but the block ZrB 2 –based ceramics also possess excellent oxidation resistance above 1000°C. The density of ZrB 2 ceramics significantly increase when changing the sintering method from pressureless sintering to SPS. The high density has beneficial effect to improve the oxidation resistance of ZrB 2 ceramic, for there are few open pores channel in high density ceramics. The oxygen cannot diffuse to the inner through pores, as a result, the high density ceramics can only be oxidized from outside to inside progressively, unlike low density ceramics, whose surface and inner is oxidized simultaneously.

In this work, a mechanically clad NiCr powder feedstock was deposited on alumina substrates by atmospheric plasma arc spraying. The resultant splats were analyzed for features such as interfacial bonding, splat classification and, critically, Cr distribution. Using a slice-and-view sectioning technique in a dual-beam FIB-SEM system, a representative splat exhibiting discrete Ni and Cr regions was physically deconstructed then reconstructed with visualization software to analyze individual layers with the splat. Although the powder feedstock contained Ni particles clad with clusters of Cr, the splats solidified into distinct layers of Ni and Cr with no signs of interaction between them. A model formulated based on this observation shows that the distribution of Cr cladding on the Ni particulates influences the amount and location of Cr around the solidified Ni splats.

Nanostructured WC-CoCr powder was prepared and deposited on carbon steel substrates by HVOF spraying. The coatings obtained were characterized based on phase constitution, elemental distribution, and microstructure as well as corrosion and sliding wear behaviors. X-ray diffraction was used to identify the main phase constituents and EDS analysis revealed the distribution of Co and Cr in the coating. The mechanisms involved in the formation of microstructure are discussed along with the effects of Cr on coating performance.

A nanostructured WC-CoCr coating was fabricated by HVOF spraying using a new type of WC-CoCr powder in which the CoCr exists in the form of a metallic compound. The CoCr powder constituent was prepared by induction melting and mechanical milling. It was then combined with a WC-Co composite nanopowder and the mixture was agglomerated by spray drying and heat treating. The powders and coatings produced were characterized by means of XRD, EDS, and BSE analysis, nanoindentation testing, and potentiodynamic polarization studies. The results show that the presence of the intermetallic CoCr compound makes nanostructured WC-CoCr coatings harder and much more corrosion resistant than conventional WC-Co-Cr coatings in which Cr exists as an unalloyed metal.

In earlier experiments, plasma-sprayed Al 2 O 3 coatings were deposited on preheated Al 2 O 3 substrates to study the effect of substrate temperature on splat formation and phase transformations. The aim of the present work is to develop a model to better understand the factors that affect phase selection during the solidification of Al 2 O 3 splats. A model based on one-dimensional heat transfer and classic nucleation theory is presented and used to simulate the rapid solidification process and the influence of process parameters on phase selection. The model accounts for under-cooling phenomena, heterogeneous nucleation, and nucleation kinetics. The findings indicate that the relationship between initial substrate temperature and phase selection is primarily based on the catalytic effect of the alumina substrate on the nucleation of Al 2 O 3 phases as a function of contact angle.

Advanced ceramic materials with perovskite structure have been developed for potential applications in thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems in an effort to overcome the properties of the pre-existing ones like 8wt% yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ). Y 2 O 3 and Yb 2 O 3 co-doped strontium zirconate with chemistry of Sr(Zr 0.9 Y 0.05 Yb 0.05 )O 2.95 (SZYY) was synthesized using ball milling prior to solid-state sintering, and had a minor second phase of Yb 2 O 3 . The SZYY showed good phase stability not only from room temperature to 1400°C, but also at high temperature of 1450°C for a long period, analyzed by thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) of the sintered bulk SZYY were recorded by a high-temperature dilatometer and revealed a positive influence on phase transitions of SrZrO 3 by codoping Y 2 O 3 and Yb 2 O 3 . The thermal conductivities of SZYY were at least ~30% lower in contrast to that of SrZrO 3 and 8YSZ in the whole tested temperature range. The good chemical compatibility was observed for SZYY with 8YSZ or Al 2 O 3 powders after 24 h heat treatment at 1250°C. The phase stability and the microstructure evolution of the as-sprayed SZYY coating during annealing at 1400°C were also investigated in this work.

In this study, carbide-based cermet (WC-Co, WC-NiCr, Cr 3 C 2 -NiCr) coatings were prepared by thermal spraying and efforts were made to explore the laser remelting effects on the coating microstructure, hardness, adhesion and tribological behavior under different conditions. Results obtained showed that under elected remelting parameters, laser-treated coatings exhibit denser structures and improved microhardness with smaller variability, as well as enhanced adhesion strength between coating and substrate arising from metallurgical element diffusion. In dry sling condition, HVOF sprayed WC-Co coating after laser remelting showed superior wear resistance, however, contrary to the lubricated condition, which may attribute to more lubricant stored in as-sprayed coatings with higher porosity. Solid particle erosion tests suggested that anti-erosion property of plasma sprayed Cr 3 C 2 -NiCr coating by laser remelting are increased, regardless of erosion velocity and angle. Additionally, the wear loss of laser-treated coating increased with erosion velocity, but due to its improved ductility shows no obvious relation to the erosion angle changing from 30 to 90 degree, which is accordance with the wear surface observation and tribological mechanism analysis.

Ni/Al alloy powders were synthesized by ball milling of nickel-aluminum powder mixture with a Ni/Al atomic ratio of 1:1. Ni/Al alloy coating was deposited by cold spraying using N 2 as accelerating gas. NiAl intermetallic compound was evolved in-situ through post-spray annealing treatment of cold-sprayed Ni/Al alloy coating. The effect of annealing temperature on the phase transformation behavior from Ni/Al mechanical alloy to intermetallics was investigated. The microstructure of the mechanically alloying Ni/Al powder and NiAl coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results show that a dense Ni/Al alloy coating can successfully be deposited by cold spraying using the mechanically alloyed powder as feedstock. The as-sprayed alloy coating exhibited a laminated microstructure retained from the mechanically alloying powder. The annealing of the subsequent Ni/Al alloy coating at a temperature higher than 850°C leads to the complete transformation from Ni/Al alloy to NiAl intermetallic compound.

In the hypersonic plasma particle deposition process, vapor phase reactants are injected into a plasma and rapidly quenched in a supersonic nozzle, leading to nucleation of nanosize particles. These particles impact a substrate at high velocity, forming a coating with grain sizes of 10 to 40 nm. As previously reported, coatings of a variety of materials have been obtained, including silicon, silicon carbide, titanium carbide and nitride, and composites of these, all deposited at very high rates. Recent studies have shown that slight modifications of the process can result in nanosize structures consisting of single crystal silicon nanowires covered with nanoparticles. These nanowires are believed to grow in a vapor deposition process, catalyzed by the presence of titanium in the underlying nanoparticle film. However, simultaneously nanoparticles are nucleated in the nozzle and deposited on the nanowires, leading to structures that are the result of a plasma CVD process combined with a nanoparticle spray process. The combination of these two process paths opens new dimensions in nanophase materials processing.

This paper presents a one-dimensional heat transfer model which predicts the solidification and cooling of a plasma-sprayed alumina splat after the flattening process is completed. A heterogeneous nucleation process taking place on the substrate surface was assumed. The density and average size of the formed nuclei were determined from the integration of the nucleation rate calculated from the classical kinetic theory for nucleation. This rate depends on the activation energy required for nucleation which takes into account the effect of the surface via a wetting angle between the growing nucleus and the catalytic surface. This contact angle was estimated from the comparison of the computed grain density with the density observed on splat surface using an atomic force microscope. When 67% of the splat surface in contact with the substrate are covered by grains, a planar solidification front was assumed to move through the melt. The theoretical model accounted also for the selection of the crystalline phase. Calculations were performed for various substrate materials at different initial temperatures. Results are expressed in terms of nucleation temperature, nucleation rate, density and grain size distribution.

Within the framework of a scientific collaboration between the University of Limoges, France and the State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, a joint work has been conducted on microstructure development and properties of plasma-sprayed molybdenum coatings. This first part of the work is devoted to the study of the effect of substrate nature and temperature on splat cooling, solidification and crystalline structure. They were investigated by means of a heat transfer model in the splat and the substrate, and the observation of splats by a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. The model takes into account melt undercooling, nucleation and crystal growth, as also a possible melting and re-solidification of the substrate. It has the capability to predict the grain size distribution under assumptions that the quality of contact between the splat and the underlying layer is uniform, nucleation takes place only on the substrate surface, crystal grains grow perpendicular to the substrate surface and no grain coalescence occurs during crystal growth.

In wire arc spraying, atomizing gas velocity and particle velocity are important factors influencing coating quality. A nozzle with secondary gas injection has been developed to increase the gas velocity and to improve coating quality. In this study, wire arc spraying of stainless steel on aluminum substrates has been investigated with the objective of establishing correlations between atomizing gas velocities, particle velocities, particle sizes and coating bond strength. Cold gas velocity is measured with a Pitot tube. Particle velocities are determined from high speed images of particle streaks taken with a Kodak high speed vision system and evaluated using image analysis. Bond strength is measured with pull-off tensile test. Secondary gas atomization clearly leads to improved adhesion due to additional metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate achieved through higher particle temperatures at the moment of impact.

Electric arc spraying with dual wires is an economical coating process finding diverse applications. Turbulence and velocity of an atomizing gas exert strong effects on the droplet formation and therefore on the coating properties. Turbulence intensity of an atomizing gas flow can be estimated by analysis of the waveforms of arc voltage fluctuations, and the velocity can be estimated by the frequency and the amplitude of these waveforms. Higher gas velocities result in higher frequencies and smaller amplitudes of the voltage fluctuations, and in smaller molten droplets leading to coatings with lower porosity but higher oxidation levels. Lower turbulence levels at the electrode tips result in more periodic waveforms with less high frequency content, and in lower oxidation of the coatings. Nozzle configurations such as a converging-diverging nozzle provide higher gas velocities with less turbulence leading to coatings with lower oxidation and lower porosity.