Tribological properties of nanostructured Al_2O_3-40%TiO_2 multiphase ceramic particles reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings

The Ni-based alloy composite coatings reinforced by nanostructured Al2O3-40%TiO2 multiphase ceramic particles were prepared on the surface of 7005 aluminum alloy by plasma spray technology. The microstructure and tribological properties of the composite coatings were researched. The results show that the composite coatings mainly consist of γ-Ni, α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3 and rutile-TiO2 etc, and exhibit lower friction coefficients and wear losses than the Ni-based alloy coatings at different loads and speeds. The composite coating bears low contact stress at 3 N and its wear mechanism is micro-cutting wear. As loads increase to 6-12 N, the contact stress is higher than the elastic limit stress of worn surface, and the wear mechanisms change into multi-plastic deformation wear, micro-brittle fracture wear and abrasive wear. With the increase of speeds, the contact temperature of worn surface increases. The composite coating experiences multi-plastic deformation wear, fatigue wear and adhesive wear.

Microstructure and properties of Al_2O_3-13%TiO_2 coatings sprayed using nanostructured powders

The microstructure and wear performance of M203-13% TiO2 coatings prepared by plasma spraying of agglom- erated nanoparticle powders were investigated. SEM analysis showed that the as-sprayed Al2O3-TiO2 coatings comprise of two kinds of typical region： fully melted region and unmelted/partially melted nanostructured region, which is different than the conventional coating with lamellar structure. It is shown that the microhardness of the nanostructured coatings was about 15%-30% higher than that of the conventional coating and the wear resistance is significantly improved, especially under a high wear load. The nanostructured coating sprayed at a lower power shows a lower wear resistance than the coatings produced at a higher power, because of the presence of pores and microstructural defects which are detrimental to the fracture toughness of the coatings.

Effect of Thermal Treatment on the Grain Growth of Nanostructured YSZ Thermal Barrier Coating Prepared by Air Plasma Spraying

A nanostructured thermal barrier coating is prepared by air plasma spraying using the 8wt% Y_2O_3 partially stabilized zirconia nano-powder with an average grain size of 40 nm. The microstructure and phase composition of feedstock nano-powder and coating are investigated using SEM, TEM and XRD. It is found that the as-sprayed zirconia coating has an average grain size of 67 nm and mainly consistes of metastable tetragonal phase, together with some monoclinic phase and tetragonal phase. Thermal treatment results show that the grains of the nanostructured coating grow slightly below 900℃, whereas over 1000℃ the gains grow rapidly and monoclinic phase noticeably appeares.

Preparation and characterization of nanostructured Al_2O_3-13wt.%TiO_2 ceramic coatings by plasma spraying

Nanostructured and conventional Al2O3-13wt.%TiO2 ceramic coatings were prepared by plasma spraying with nanostructured agglomerated and conventional powders, respectively. The microstructure and microhardness of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）, and microhardness measurement. Meanwhile, the friction and wear behaviors were analyzed and compared using a ball-on-disk tribometer. The results show that the conventional coating has lamellar stacking characteristic and has some pores. However, the nanostructured coating shows a bimodal microstructure, which is composed of both fully melted regions and partially melted regions. According to the microstructural difference, the partially melted regions can be divided into liquid-phase sintered regions （a three-dimensional net or skeleton-like structure： Al2O3-rich submicron particles embedded in the TiO2-rich matrix） and solid-phase sintered regions （remained nanoparticles）. The microstructural characteristics of the liquid-phase sintered region are formed due to the selective melting of TiO2 nanoparticles during plasma spraying. On the other hand, the TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles of the solid-phase sintered regions are all unmelted during plasma spraying. Due to the existence of nanostructured microstructures, the nanostructured coating has a higher microhardness, a lower friction coefficient, and a better wear resistance than the conventional coating.

Plasma Spray Forming of Nanostructured Composite Coatings

The nanostructure composite coating is obtained via plasma spraying of Al2O3-13 wt pct TiO2 powder. Brittle and hard lamella results from melted nanostructured powder. Ductile nanostructured matrix forms from unmelted nanostructured particles. Through the adjustment of constituent and nanostructure, hardness/strength and toughness/ductility are balanced and overall properties of the structure composite are achieved.

Overview on the Development of Nanostructured Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings （TBCs） have successfully been used in gas turbine engines for increasing operation temperature and improving engine efficiency. Over the past thirty years, a variety of TBC materials and TBC deposition techniques have been developed. Recently, nanostructured TBCs emerge with the potential of commercial applications in various industries. In this paper, TBC materials and TBC deposition techniques such as air plasma spray （APS）, electron beam physical vapor deposition （EB-PVD）, laser assisted chemical vapor deposition （LACVD） are briefly reviewed. Nanostructured 7-8 wt pct yttria stabilized zirconia （7-8YSZ）TBC by air plasma spraying of powder and new TBC with novel structure deposited by solution precursor plasma spray （SPPS） are compared. Plasma spray conditions, coating forming mechanisms, microstructures,phase compositions, thermal conductivities, and thermal cycling lives of the APS nanostructured TBC and the SPPS nanostructured TBC are discussed. Research opportunities and challenges of nanostructured TBCs deposited by air plasma spray are prospected.

Deformation Behavior of Nanostructured Ceramic Coatings Deposited by Thermal Plasma Spray

Al2O3-13 wt pet TiO2 coating deposited by direct current plasma spray consists of nanostructured region and micro-lamellae. Bend test shows that the ceramic coating can sustain some deformation without sudden failure. The deformation is achieved through the movement of nano-particles in the nanostructured region under tensile stress.

Thermal stability of nanostructured NiCrC coating prepared by HVAF spraying of cryomilled powders

Thermal stability of nanostructured NiCrC coating prepared by high velocity air-fuel （HVAF） spraying of cryomilled feedstock powders was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD） were utilized for characteristic analysis. Recrystallization and normal grain growth occur when isothermal treatment is performed at 923 K （0.55 TM） for up to 100 h, and the average grain size increases from initial 41 nm for as-deposited state to around 100 nm for nearly equilibrium state. Isochronal treatment at 823 K and 1023 K was also conducted for comparison. Accordingly, for 0.49 to 0.61 T/TM, the time exponent n deduced from D^1/n - D0^1/n = kt increases from 0.15 to 0.30. The observed high thermal stability is attributed primarily to a Zener pinning mechanism arising from the fine Cr2O3 dispersions and the solute drag effect as well.

Mechanical properties of TiO_2-hydroxyapatite nanostructured coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates by APS method

TiO2-hydroxyapatite （HA） nanostructured coatings were produced by atmospheric plasma spray method. The effects of starting powder composition and grain size on their mechanical properties were investigated. The microstructure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. It is found that the coating with 10% HA has the best mechanical properties. Based on Rietveld refinement method, the mean grain size of the as-received powder （212 nm） extensively decreases to 66.4 nm after 20 h of high-energy ball milling. In spite of grain growth, the deposited coatings maintain their nanostructures with the mean grain size of 112 nm. SEM images show that there is a lower porosity in the coating with a higher HA content. Optical microscopy images show that uniform thickness is obtained for all the coatings.

Effect of flame conditions on abrasive wear performance of HVOF sprayed nanostructured WC-12Co coatings

Nanostructured WC-12Co coatings were deposited by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying with an agglomerated powder. The effect of flame conditions on the microstructure of the nanostructured coatings was investigated. The wear properties of the coatings were characterized using a dry rubber-wheel wear test. The results show that the nanostructured WC-Co coatings consist of WC, W2C, W and an amorphous binder phase. The microstructure of the coating is significantly influenced by the ratio of oxygen flow to fuel flow. Under the lower ratio of oxygen/fuel flow, the nanostructured coating presents a relative dense microstructure and severe decarburization of WC phase occurs during spraying. With increasing ratio of oxygen/fuel flow, the bonding of WC particles in the coating becomes loose resulting from the original structure of feedstock and the decarburization of WC becomes less owing to limited heating to the powder. Both the decarburization of WC particles in spraying and the bonding among WC particles in the coatings affect the wear performance. The examination of the worn surfaces of the nanostructured coatings reveals that the dominant wear mechanisms would be spalling from the interface of WCCo splats when spray particles undergo a limited melting. While the melting state of the spray particles is improved,the dominant wear mechanisms become the plastic deformation and plowing of the matrix and spalling of WC particles from the matrix.

Fabrication of in-situ synthesized ceramic reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings by reactive braze coating processing

In-situ synthesized ceramic such as TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coating was fabricated on the surface of mild steel substrate by reactive braze coating processing with colloidal graphite,Cr,Ni,ferro-boron,Si and titanium powders as the raw materials at low temperature of 1000℃,and a new kind of coating materials was developed.By means of SEM,EDS,XRD and surface hardness tester,the microstructures,phases,hardness and wear-resistance of the coating were analyzed,respectively.The results revealed that the coating was mainly composed of the ceramic in-situ synthesized reinforcement phases of TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 and the binder phases in-situ synthesized of Ni31Si12 and(Ni,Fe)solid solution;The ceramic reinforcement phases of TiC,Cr7C3 and Cr5B3 were randomly distributed in the binder phases of Ni31Si12 and(Ni,Fe)solid solution;The coating had about 15vol%pores and can possibly be applied as a self-lubrication coating;The coating and the substrate were integrated together by metallurgical bonding;The coating had a hardness up to 91-94HR15N.

Nanostructured Sulfide Composite Coating Prepared by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying

Nanostructured FeS-SiC coating was deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying（APS）.The microstructure and phase composition of the coating were characterized with SEM and XRD,respectively.In addition,the size distribution of the reconstituted powders and the porosity of the coating have been measured.It was found that the reconstitiuted powers with sizes in the range of 20 to 80 μm had excellent flowability and were suitable for plasma spraying process.The as-sprayed FeS-SiC composite coating exhibited a bimodal distribution with small grains（30～80nm） and large grains（100～200nm）.The coating was mainly composed of FeS and SiC,a small quantity of Fe1-xS and oxide were also found.The porosity of the coating was approximately 19%.

D.C.Plasma-Sprayed Coatings of Nanostructured Alumina-Titania-Silica

Nanocrystalline powders of w(Al2O3)=95%, w(TiO2)=3%, and w(SiO2)=2%, were reprocessed into agglomerated particles for plasma spraying, by using consecutive steps of ball milling, slurry forming, spray drying, and heat treatment. D. C. plasma was used to spray the agglomerated nanocrystalline powders, and resultant coatings were deposited on the substrate of stainless steel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the agglomerated powders and the cross section of the alumina-titania-silica coatings. Exper-imental results show that the agglomerated nanocrystalline particles are spherical, with a size from (10 - 90)μm. The flow ability of the nanocrystalline powders is greatly improved after the reprocessing. The coatings deposited by the plasma spraying are mainly of nanostructure. Unlike conventional plasma-sprayed coatings, no laminar layer could be found in the nanostructured coatings. Although the nanostructured coatings have a lower microhardness than conventional microstructured coatings, the toughness of the nanostructured ceramic coatings is significantly improved.

Nanostructured yttria stabilized zirconia coatings deposited by air plasma spraying

Nanostructured yttria partially stabilized zirconia coatings were deposited by air plasma spraying with reconstituted nanosized powder. The microstructures and phase compositions of the powder and the as-sprayed nanostructured coatings were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The results demonstrate that the microstructure of as-sprayed nanostructured zirconia coating exhibits a unique tri-modal distribution including the initial nanostructure of the powder, equiaxed grains and columnar grains. Air plasma sprayed nanostructured zirconia coatings consist of only the nontransformable tetragonal phase, though the reconstituted nanostructured powder shows the presence of the monoclinic, the tetragonal and the cubic phases. The mean grain size of the coating is about 42 nm.

Effect of thermal cycle on Ni-Cr based nanostructured thermal spray coating in boiler tubes

Ni-Cr based nanostructured feedstock powder was prepared by mechanical milling technique involving repeated welding, fracturing, and re-welding of powder particles in a planetary ball mill. The milled nanocrystalline powders were used to coat carbon steel tubes using high velocity oxygen fuel（HVOF） thermal spraying process. The characterization of the feedstock powder and HVOF coated substrates was performed using optical microscope, X-ray diffractometer（XRD）, scanning electron microscope（SEM）, high resolution transmission electron microscope（HR-TEM）, energy dispersive spectrometer（EDS） and microhardness tests. The coated and uncoated samples were subjected to different thermal cycles and characterized for their phase changes, metallurgical changes and microhardness variations. Ni-Cr nanostructured coated samples exhibited higher mechanical and metallurgical properties compared to their conventionally coated counter parts. The results showed that the nanostructured coating possessed a more uniform and denser microstructure than the conventional coating.

Fabrication of conventional and nanostructured NiCrC coatings via HVAF technique

The conventional and nanostructured NiCrC(with chemical composition of 80%NiCr-20%CrC)coatings with high quality were fabricated via high velocity air-fuel(HVAF)spraying technique.The microstructures of these coatings were characterized by means of metallographic microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry.A Vickers microhardness tester was used to determine the mechanical properties of the as-sprayed coatings.The single-line approximation(SLA)method was employed to calculate the grain size and microstrain of as-sprayed nanostructured coating based on the XRD data.The results show that nanostructured NiCrC coating possesses a more uniform and denser microstructure,much higher microhardness and better fracture toughness than its conventional counterpart.Both TEM observation and calculation results based on XRD profile show that as-sprayed nanostructured NiCrC coating has a homogeneous nanocrystalline microstructure with an average grain size of 40 nm.

Tribological properties of nanostructured n-Al_2O_3/Ni coatings deposited by plasma spraying

Nanostructured n-Al2O3/Ni feedstock for thermal spraying was manufactured by the method of chemical wrapping and spray drying. The nanostructured coating was sprayed with this feedstock. Tribological properties of the coatings and steel 45# were tested. Within the testing range, the friction coefficient of coatings against GCr15 steel decreased and the mass loss of coatings increased at first then decreased with the increase of load. Under each load, the coatings’ friction coefficients and wear losses were lower than that of steel 45#. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer analysis show that adhesion is the dominating wear mechanism, and fatigue exists at the same time. Material transferred from counter-part to the coating is the main factor which influences the coatings’ friction coefficient and wear losses.

Microstructure and bonding strength of Ni-based alloy coating

A Ni-Cr-B-Si coating technique was developed and successfully applied on austenite grey iron substrate in a conventional resistance furnace under graphite powder protection. The microstructure, phase distribution, chemical composition profile and microhardness along the coating layer depth were investigated. Shear strength of the coating was also tested. Microanalysis shows that the coating is consist of γ-Ni solution and γ-Ni+Ni3B lamellar eutectic, as well as small amount of Cr5B3 particles. Diffusion induced metallurgical bonding occurs at the coating/substrate interfaces, and the higher the temperature, the more sufficient elements diffused, the broader interfusion region and the larger bonding strength, but it has an optimum value. And the bonding strength at the interface can be enable to reach 250-270 MPa, which is nearly the same as that of processed by flame spray. The microhardness along the coating layer depth shows a gradient distribution manner.

Microstructure, Corrosion, and Fatigue Properties of Alumina-Titania Nanostructured Coatings

Air Plasma spray process was used to deposit a conventional and nanostructured Al2O3-13 wt% TiO2 coatings on a stainless steel substrates. Morphology of the powder particles, microstructure and phase composition of the coatings were characterized by XRD and SEM. Potentiodynamic polarization tests and Electrochemical Impedance Spectro- scopy (EIS) were used to analyze the corrosion of the coated substrate in 3.5% NaCl solutions to determine the opti-mum conditions for corrosion protection. The fatigue strength and hardness of the coatings were investigated. The experimental data indicated that the nanostructured coated samples exhibited higher hardness and fatigue strength compared to the conventional coated samples. On the other hand, the conventional coatings showed a better localized corrosion resistance than the nanostructured coatings.

Development of Nanostructured Antireflection Coatings for EO/IR Sensor and Solar Cell Applications

Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors and photovoltaic power sources are being developed for a variety of defense and commercial applications. One of the critical technologies that will enhance both EO/IR sensor and photovoltaic module performance is the development of high quality nanostructure-based antireflection coatings. In this paper, we review our work on advanced antireflection structures that have been designed by using a genetic algorithm and fabricated by using oblique angle deposition. The antireflection coatings are designed for the wavelength range of 250 nm to 2500 nm and an incidence angle between 00 and 400. These nanostructured antireflection coatings are shown to enhance the optical transmission through transparent windows over a wide band of interest and minimize broadband reflection losses to less than one percent, a substantial improvement over conventional thin-film antireflection coating technologies.