Study on the Attack of Molten Silicates on Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) revolutionized the industry by allowing higher operating temperatures for equipment, such as gas turbines in the aeronautical industry. However, at high temperatures, the TBC is exposed to the attack of molten silicates, known as CMAS (Calcium-Magnesium-Alumino-Silicate), which are particles from the environment that infiltrate the TBC, causing delamination. In this study, samples coated with TBC by thermal spray and covered with CMAS were evaluated at temperatures of 1200˚C and 1250˚C. For each temperature, exposure times of 1 h and 5 h were used. Samples with longer exposure time had a considerable volume increase. The main contribution of this work was to demonstrate the non-wettability of the CMAS, even in the 5-h heat treatments, which prevented its infiltration in the deeper regions. The conditions to guarantee the formation of the silicate and its consequent wettability are also discussed.

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.

Effect of TiO_2 and ZrO_2 reinforcements on properties of Al_2O_3 coatings fabricated by thermal flame spraying

The alumina composite coatings reinforced with 25% ZrO2 （denoted as AZ-25） and 3% TiO2 （denoted as AT-3） were deposited on low carbon steel using a thermal flame spraying. The microstructure, phase composition, microhardness and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated. The XRD results of the coatings reinforced by TiO2 （AT-3） revealed the presence of α-Al2O3 phase as matrix and new metastable phases of α-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3. However, the coatings reinforced by ZrO2 （AZ-25） consist of α-Al2O3 as matrix, q-ZrO2 and m-ZrO2. In most studied conditions, the AT-3 coating displays a better tribological performance, i.e., lower coefficient of frictions and wear rates, than the AZ-25 coating. It was also found that the microhardness of the coatings was decreased with the reinforcement of ZrO2 and increased with TiO2.

Preparation of thermal barrier coatings by ultrasonic plasma spraying

Modulated plasma arc not only can heat the powder, but also can excite ultrasonic of different frequencies and different powers. The principles and characters of the plasma arc-excited ultrasonic were described, and the ultrasonic plasma spraying was compared with normal plasma spraying. Zirconia thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were fabricated with two kinds of method. The TBCs were studied by the optical microscope observation, SEM observation and bonding strength experiment. The results show that suitable ultrasonic changes the performance and microstructure of TBCs in evidence. And the mechanism of ultrasonic influencing the TBCs was also discussed.

High-temperature corrosion-resistance performance of electro-thermal explosion spraying coating

As a new spraying technology used in the remanufacturing engineering, electro-thermal explosion spraying holds a lot of advantages. Electro-thermal explosion spraying coating aliquation phenomena are reduced and non-crystal, micro-crystal and millimicron-crystal and other microstructure are formed. The corrosion-resistance ability of electro-thermal explosion spraying coating in high temperature environment was surveyed respectively. SEM equipped with EDS was employed to analyze the microstructure of spraying coating before and after corrosion. The corrosion-resistance mechanism of the spraying coating was discussed.

Characterization of gradient Ni-Fe/SiC composite coating on mild steel by thermal spraying in combination with laser cladding

Metal matrix composite coating Ni-Fe/SiC was prepared on an iron-based substrate bythermal spraying combined with laser cladding,using SiC particulates as the reinforcing agent.The micro-structures of the coatings formed at different thermal spraying and laser cladding conditions were character-ized by means of X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis.The thermal oxidation properties of themixed powders composed of different content of SiC particulates and relevant Ni-based alloy as the balancewere examined using differential scanning calorimetry.The hardness profile of the thermal sprayed and lasercladding coatings was investigated as well.It was found that SiO2particulates were generated and dissolvedand dispersed during the melting and solidification of the laser cladding process,which was ascribed to theoxidation of the dispersed SiC particulates.The micro-hardness depth profile of the target laser claddingcomposite coating was characterized by gradient distribution,which could be related to the gradient distribu-tion of the hard SiC and SiO2particulates in the dendrites and interdendrites of the cladding layer.Both SiCand SiO2particulates contributed to greatly increasing the microhardness and mechanical properties of the ti-tled laser cladding composite coatings.

Thermal sprayed WC-Co coatings and their mechanical properties

HVOF thermal spraying tests were carried out for thermal spraying the coatings with two kinds of cermet powders,which are microstructured Sulzer Metco Diamalloy 2004 WC-12%Co powders and nanostructured WC-12%Co powders.The microstructures of the as-prepared WC-12%Co coatings were then characterized by using XRD analyzer and SEM.The mechanical properties of the two coatings were evaluated by microhardness test,bend test,cup test,tensile test and abrasive wear test.The results showed that the mechanical properties of WC-12%Co coatings sprayed with nanostructured WC-12%Co powder is higher than that of coatings sprayed with microstructured WC-12%Co powders,and the reasons were discussed.

Influence of Annealing on the Grain Growth and Thermal Diffusivity of Nanostructured YSZ Thermal Barrier Coating

The nanostructured zirconia coatings were deposited by atmospherically plasma spraying. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the microstructure of the zirconia coatings. Thermal diffusivity values at normal temperatures have been evaluated by laser flash technique. Effect of annealing on the microstructure evolution of the zirconia coating has been performed. The grains and thermal diffusivity are increased with increasing annealing time and temperature. The grain growth is according to the GRIGC （the grain rotation induced grain coalescence） mechanism. The increase in thermal diffusivity is attributed to the grain growth and the decrease in porosity of nanostructured zirconia coatings.

Microstructure studies of air-plasma-spray-deposited CoNiCrAlY coatings before and after thermal cyclic loading for high-temperature application

In the present study, bond-coats for thermal barrier coatings were deposited via air plasma spraying（APS） techniques onto Inconel 800 and Hastelloy C-276 alloy substrates. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, and atomic force microscopy（AFM） were used to investigate the phases and microstructure of the as-sprayed, APS-deposited Co Ni Cr Al Y bond-coatings. The aim of this work was to study the suitability of the bond-coat materials for high temperature applications. Confirmation of nanoscale grains of the γ/γ′-phase was obtained by TEM, high-resolution TEM, and AFM. We concluded that these changes result from the plastic deformation of the bond-coat during the deposition, resulting in Co Ni Cr Al Y bond-coatings with excellent thermal cyclic resistance suitable for use in high-temperature applications. Cyclic oxidative stability was observed to also depend on the underlying metallic alloy substrate.

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.

High-Temperature Corrosion of Protective Coatings for Boiler Tubes in Thermal Power Plants

High-temperature corrosion is a serious problem for the water-wall tubes of boilers used in thermal power plants. Oxidation, sulfidation and molten salt corrosion are main corrosion ways.Thereinto, the most severe corrosion occurs in molten salt corrosion environment. Materials rich in oxides formers, such as chromium and aluminum, are needed to resist corrosion in high-temperature and corrosive environment, but processability of such bulk alloys is very limited. High velocity electric arc spraying (HVAS) technology is adopted to produce coatings with high corrosion resistance. By comparison, NiCr (Ni-45Cr-4Ti) is recommended as a promising alloy coating for the water-wall tubes, which can even resist molten salt corrosion attack. In the study of corrosion mechanism, the modern material analysis methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), are used. It is found that the corrosion resistances of NiCr and FeCrAI coatings are much better than that of 20g steel, that the NiCr coatings have the best anti-corrosion properties, and that the NiCr coatings have slightly lower pores than FeCrAI coatings.It is testified that corrosion resistance of coatings is mainly determined by chromium content, and the microstructure of a coating is as important as the chemical composition of the material. In addition, the fracture mechanisms of coatings in the cycle of heating and cooling are put forward. The difference of the thermal physical properties between coatings and base metals results in the thermal stress inside the coatings. Consequently, the coatings spall from the base metal.

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.

Comparison of thermal shock behaviors between plasma-sprayed nanostructured and conventional zirconia thermal barrier coatings

NiCoCrAlTaY bond coat was deposited on pure nickel substrate by low pressure plasma spraying(LPPS), and ZrO2-8%Y2O3 (mass fraction) nanostructured and ZrO2-7%Y2O3 (mass fraction) conventional thermal barrier coatings(TBCs) were deposited by air plasma spraying(APS). The thermal shock behaviors of the nanostructured and conventional TBCs were investigated by quenching the coating samples in cold water from 1 150, 1 200 and 1 250 ℃, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used to examine the microstructures of the samples after thermal shock testing. Energy dispersive analysis of X-ray(EDAX) was used to analyze the interface diffusion behavior of the bond coat elements. X-ray diffractometry(XRD) was used to analyze the constituent phases of the samples. Experimental results indicate that the nanostructured TBC is superior to the conventional TBC in thermal shock performance. Both the nanostructured and conventional TBCs fail along the bond coat/substrate interface. The constituent phase of the as-sprayed conventional TBC is diffusionless-transformed tetragonal(t′). However, the constituent phase of the as-sprayed nanostructured TBC is cubic(c). There is a difference in the crystal size at the spalled surfaces of the nanostructured and conventional TBCs. The constituent phases of the spalled surfaces are mainly composed of Ni2.88Cr1.12 and oxides of bond coat elements.

Corrosive-wear and Electrochemical Performance of Laser Thermal Sprayed Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si Coating on Ti6Al4V Alloy

Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings were fabricated on Ti6Al4V alloy using a laser thermal spraying(LTS).The surface and cross-section morphologies,phases and bonding strength of obtained coatings were investigated using scanning electronic microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scratch test,respectively.The effects of laser power on the coefficients of friction(COFs)and corrosive-wear behaviors of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings were investigated using a wear tester in 3.5%NaCl solution,and the electrochemical corrosion performance was analyzed using an electrochemical workstation.The experimental results show that the Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coating is bonded with the substrate in the metallurgical form,and the bonding strengths of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W are 76.5,56.5,and 55.6 N,respectively.The average COFs of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W are 0.769,0.893,and 0.941,respectively;and the corresponding wear rates are 0.267×105,0.3178×105,and 0.325×105μm3/Nm,respectively,which increases with the increase of laser power,the wear mechanism is primarily abrasive wear.The corrosion potential of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W is-0.05,-0.25,and-0.31 V,respectively,higher than-0.45 V of substrate which enhances the electrochemical corrosion resistance of substrate.

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.

Microstructure and properties of thermal-sprayed NiCrWRE coatings

The powders of NiCrW and NiCrWRE alloys were flame sprayed on a medium-carbon steel substrate by thermal spray welding. The micro- structure and tribological behavior of coatings were studied experimentally by means of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, field emission gun scanning electron microscope （FEGSEM）, and wear tests. The addition of CeO2 modifies the coating morphology from a needle-like structure to a roughly cubic morphology; the refining and purifying effect of rare earth elements makes the microstmcture more compact and finer. Analysis of the worn surfaces reveals that the coatings with CeO2 addition show improved abrasive wear resistance over those without CeO2. By adding CeO2, the hardness of the coatings is significantly increased, and the wear resistance of the coatings is enhanced.

Effects of thickness of Al thermal spray coating for STS 304

Thermal spray coating presents a sacrificial-anode cathodic protection method since differences between the potentials of materials are employed.If a base metal is exposed to seawater,due to defect in the thermal spray coating,the metal is protected by the sacrificial anodic characteristics of the coating layer because micro-cells formed by the base metal and the thermal spray coating act as cathodes and anodes,respectively.The coating thickness has little effect on the surface morphology of the coating.However,the electrochemical properties with the increasing of coating thickness present good results.

Microstructure and wear resistance of electro-thermal explosion sprayed stellite coating used for remanufacturing

Electro-thermal explosion directional spraying was used to prepare the stellite coating on substrate of the AISI 1045 steel. The morphologies of cross-section and worn scar, porosity, distribution of elements, micro- hardness and wear resistance of the coating were determined by means of SEM, EDAX, micro-hardness tester and sliding wear tester. Because of the compact construction, good bonding and high hardness, the coating is characterized by good wear resistance. The results show that the mainly failure mode of the stellite coating is micro- plowing.

Evaluation of thermal sprayed coating using ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo back reflection

Thermal spraying technique is widely used in various mechanical parts as a surface reforming technique.However,as demand to maintain superior mechanical performance in harsh operating environment increases,the need for non-destructive evaluation method for thermal spray coating becomes more important.For this purpose,we thinned the thickness of the thermal sprayed coating by abrasion with blasting and used ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo reflection for effective measurement of abrasion quantity in thermal sprayed coating.The results obtained are summarized as follows.When the thickness of thermal sprayed coating becomes thin,the echo height increases.This is because thermal sprayed coatings absorb ultrasonic energy.Ultrasonic energy absorbed by Al2O3 is smaller compared with Fe-13Cr coating.Thermal sprayed coatings submerged in water have a lower echo height compared with air.As mentioned above,the thermal sprayed coating thickness can be estimated using ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo back reflection.

Investigation on plasma-sprayed ZrO_2 thermal barrier coating on nickel alloy substrate

The thermal barrier coatings with NiCrAlY alloy bonding layer, NiCrAlY Y 2O 3 stabilized ZrO 2 transition layer and Y 2O 3 stabilized ZrO 2 ceramic layer are prepared on nickel alloy substrates using the plasma spray technique. The relationship among the composition, structure and property of the coatings are investiga ted by means of optical microscope, scanning electronic microscope and the experiments of thermal shock resistance cycling and high temperature oxidation resistance. The results show that the structure design of introdu cing a transition layer between Ni alloy substrate and ZrO 2 ceramic coating guarantees the high quality and properties of the coatings; ZrO 2 coatings doped with a little SiO 2 possesses better thermal shock resistance and more excellent hot corrosion resistance as compared with ZrO 2 coating materials without SiO 2 ;the improvement in performance of ZrO 2 coating doped with SiO 2 is due to forming more dense coating structure by self closing effects of the flaws and pores in the ZrO 2 coatings.