Comparative investigation of microstructure and high-temperature oxidation resistance of high-velocity oxy-fuel sprayed CoNiCrAlY/nano-Al_(2)O_(3) composite coatings using satellited powders

Satellited CoNiCrAlY–Al_(2)O_(3)feedstocks with 2wt%, 4wt%, and 6wt% oxide nanoparticles and pure CoNiCrAlY powder were deposited by the high-velocity oxy fuel process on an Inconel738 superalloy substrate. The oxidation test was performed at 1050℃ for 5, 50, 100,150, 200, and 400 h. The microstructure and phase composition of powders and coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The bonding strength of the coatings was also evaluated. The results proved that with the increase in the percentage of nanoparticles(from 2wt% to 6wt%), the amount of porosity(from 1vol% to 4.7vol%), unmelted particles, and roughness of the coatings(from 4.8 to 8.8 μm) increased, and the bonding strength decreased from 71 to 48 MPa. The thicknesses of the thermally grown oxide layer of pure and composite coatings(2wt%, 4wt%, and 6wt%) after 400 h oxidation were measured as 6.5, 5.5, 7.6, and 8.1 μm, respectively.The CoNiCrAlY–2wt% Al_(2)O_(3)coating showed the highest oxidation resistance due to the diffusion barrier effect of well-dispersed nanoparticles. The CoNiCrAlY–6wt% Al_(2)O_(3)coating had the lowest oxidation resistance due to its rough surface morphology and porous microstructure.

Enhanced high-temperature performance of Li-rich layered oxide via surface heterophase coating

Li-rich layered oxides have become one of the most concerned cathode materials for high-energy lithiumion batteries, but they still suffer from poor cycling stability and detrimental voltage decay, especially at elevated temperature. Herein, we proposed a surface heterophase coating engineering based on amorphous/crystalline Li3 PO4 to address these issues for Li-rich layered oxides via a facile wet chemical method. The heterophase coating layer combines the advantages of physical barrier effect achieved by amorphous Li3 PO4 with facilitated Li+diffusion stemmed from crystalline Li3 PO4. Consequently, the modified Li(1.2) Ni(0.2) Mn(0.6) O2 delivers higher initial coulombic efficiency of 92% with enhanced cycling stability at 55 °C(192.9 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 1 C). More importantly, the intrinsic voltage decay has been inhibited as well, i.e. the average potential drop per cycle decreases from 5.96 mV to 2.99 mV. This surface heterophase coating engineering provides an effective strategy to enhance the high-temperature electrochemical performances of Li-rich layered oxides and guides the direction of surface modification strategies for cathode materials in the future.

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.

Ytterbium Hydroxide and Erbium Hydroxide Coating of Spherical Nickel Hydroxide Positive Materials for Ni-MH Batteries at High-Temperature

For the purpose of the important high-temperature charge-discharge performances of spherical Ni(OH)2 used as positive materials for Ni-MH batteries, Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 were used for surface coating of spherical Ni(OH)2 to improve its high-temperature properties. The coated spherical Ni(OH)2 was prepared by chemically coprecipitation of Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 on the surface of spherical Ni(OH)2, respectively. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The X-ray analysis showed that the structure of the coated spherical Ni(OH)2 was still β-Ni(OH)2. The SEM studies revealed that coating layer uniformly covered the surface of spherical Ni(OH)2. The electrochemical studies revealed that coating of Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 exhibited superior performance such as high discharge capacity, excellent charge-discharge properties at high-discharge rate at 65 ℃. The charge acceptance was above 85% at 1C rate at 65 ℃. The discharge capacity approached to 230 mAh·g-1 at 0.2C rate, which even reached 270 mAh·g-1 at 1C rate for both Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 coated spherical Ni(OH)2, where the discharge capacity for uncoated one was only 250 mAh·g-1 . The cyclic voltammetry analysis of spherical Ni(OH)2 showed that the oxidation potential, the oxygen evolution potential, and the difference between them increased after the coating both at 25 and 65 ℃. It was shown that the Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 coating is an effective way to improve the high-temperature performance of spherical Ni(OH)2 for Ni-MH batteries. The studies showed that Yb(OH)3 and Er(OH)3 coated spherical Ni(OH)2 would be a promising material of Ni-MH batteries for hybrid vehicle (HEVs), electric vehicles(EVs) and rapid charge devices due to excellent high rate charge-discharge performance.

Simple and scalable synthesis of super-repellent multilayer nanocomposite coating on Mg alloy with mechanochemical robustness,high-temperature endurance and electric protection

Multi-functionalization is the future development direction for protective coatings on metal surface,but has not yet been explored a lot.The effective integration of multiple functions into one material remains a huge challenge.Herein,a superhydrophobic multilayer coating integrated with multidimensional organic-inorganic components is designed on magnesium alloy via one-step plasma-induced thermal field assisted crosslinking deposition(PTCD)processing followed by after-thermal modification.Hard porous MgO ceramic layer and polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)nano-particles work as the bottom layer skeleton and filler components separately,forming an organic-inorganic multilayer structure,in which organic nano-particles can be crosslinked and cured to form a compact polymer-like outer layer with hierarchical surface textures.Remarkably,the chemical robustness after prolonged exposure to aqua regia,strong base and simulated seawater solution profits from polymer-like nanocomposite layer uniformly and compactly across the film bulk.Moreover,the self-similar multilayer structure coating endows it attractive functions of strong mechanical robustness(>100th cyclic rotary abrasion),stable and ultra-low friction coefficient(about 0.084),high-temperature endurance,and robust self-cleaning.The organic-inorganic multilayer coating also exhibits high insulating property with breakdown voltage of 1351.8±42.4 V,dielectric strength of 21.4±0.7 V/μm and resistivity of 3.2×10^(10)Ω·cm.The excellent multifunction benefits from ceramic bottom skeleton,the assembly and deposition of multidimensional nano-particles,and the synergistic effect of organic inorganic components.This study paves the way for designing next generation protective coating on magnesium alloy with great potential for multifunctional applications.

Microstructure of a Mo-Si-C-N multi-layered anti-oxidation coating on carbon/carbon composites by fused slurry

A Mo-Si-C-N multi-layered anti-oxidation coating was in-situ fabricated by introducing nitrogen atmosphere during the fused sintering of Mo-Si slurry pre-layer on carbon/carbon composites. The phase composition and microstructure of the Mo-Si-C-N coating were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The Mo-Si-C-N coating exhibited a three-layered structure. Besides the MoSi2/Si main-layer and the SiC bonding-layer, a surface layer of about 10 μm in thickness was synthesized on the coating surface. The surface layer mainly consisted of SiC nanowires and contained some Si3N4 and Si phases. SiC nanowires of 10 to 200 nm in diameter presented a terrace and distortion structure. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the SiC nanowires grew along the preferred 〈111〉 direction. During oxidation test, SiC nanowires transmuted into SiO2 glass, which can play an important role in improving the oxidation resistance of C/C composites.

Preparation and Anti-oxidation Mechanism of Mullite/Yttrium Silicate Coatings on C/SiC Composites

In order to enhance the oxidation resistance of C/Si C composites, mullite/yttrium silicate coatings were fabricated on C/Si C composites through dip-coating route. Al_2O_3-SiO_2 sol with high solid content was selected as the raw material for mullite and ＂silicone resin ＋ Y_2O_3 powder＂ slurry was used to synthesize yttrium silicate. The microstructure and phase composition of coatings were characterized, and the investigation on oxidation resistance and anti-oxidation mechanism was emphasized. The as-fabricated coatings consisting of SiO_2-rich mullite phase and Y_2Si_2O_7 phase show high density and favorable bonding to C/Si C composites. After oxidized at 1 400 ℃ and 1 500 ℃ for 30 min in static air, the coating-containing C/Si C composites possess 91.9% and 102.4% of the original flexural strength, respectively. The desirable thermal stability of coatings and the further densification of coatings due to viscous flow of rich SiO_2 and Y-Si-Al-O glass are responsible for the excellent oxidation resistance. In addition, the coating-containing composites retain 99.0% of the original flexural strength and the coatings exhibit no cracking and desquamation after 12 times of thermal shock from 1 400 ℃ to room temperature, which are ascribed to the combination of anti-oxidation mechanism and preferable physical and chemical compatibility among C/Si C composites, mullite and Y_2Si_2O_7. The carbothermal reaction at 1 600 ℃ between free carbon in C/Si C substrate and rich SiO_2 in mullite results in severe frothing and desquamation of coatings and obvious degradation in oxidation resistance.

Microstructure and Oxidation Behaviors of Nano-particles Strengthened NiCoCrAlY Cladded Coatings on Superalloys

Nano-particles which can largely improve the microstructure and oxidation resistance of materials are often used as a strengthening component in metal matrix composites. However, few studies were reported on its application in the bond coat of duplex structure thermal barrier coating（TBC）. Three kinds of NiCoCrAlY coatings strengthened by different nano-particles with the same addition （1%, mass fraction） were prepared by the laser cladding technique on Ni-based superalloy substrates, aiming to study the effects of the nano-particles on microstructure and oxidation resistance of NiCoCrAlY coatings （the bond coat of the duplex structure thermal barrier coatings）. Scanning electron microscope （SEM）, X-ray diffractometer（XRD） and thermogravimetry were employed to investigate their morphologies, phases and cyclic oxidation behaviors in atmosphere at 1 050℃, compared with the coating without nano-particles. With the addition of nano-particles, the growth pattern of the grains at the interface changed from epitaxial growth to non-epitaxial growth or part-epitaxial growth; slender dendrites were broken and cellularized; cracks and pores were restrained; and the oxidation weight-gain and the stripping resistance of the oxide scale were improved as well. Among the three kinds of nano-particles, the SiC nano-particles showed the most improvement on microstructure, while the CeO2 nano-particles were insufficient, but its effects on the oxidation resistance are the same as those of the SiC nano-particles. Based on the discussions of the influence mechanism, it is believed that CeO2 nano-particles would show better improvement than SiC nano-particles if the proper amount is added and the proper preparation technique of micro-nanometer composite powders is adopted, with the synergistic action of nanometer effect and reactive element effect.

OXIDATION RESISTANCE OF NANOCRYSTAL ODS ALUMINIDE COATINGS PRODUCED BY PACK ALUMINIZING PROCESS ASSISTED BY BALL PEENING

Nanocrystal ODS （oxide dispersion strengthening） aluminide coatings were produced on a stainless steel and nickel-based superalloy by the pock aluminizing process assisted by ball peening, Pure Al powders and 1% of ultra-fine Y2O3 powders were mixed by ball milling. The ultra-fine Y2O3 powders were dispersed in Al particles. Ball peening welded the Al particles onto the substrate and accelerated the formation of aluminide coating. Nanocrystal ODS aluminide coatings were produced by the outward growth at a much low temperature （below 600℃） in a short treatment time. The effects of the operation temperature and treatment time on the formation of the coatings were analyzed. SEM （scanning electron microscope）, AFM （atomic force microscope）, EDS （energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy）, XRF （X-ray fluorescence spectrometer） and XRD （X-ray diffraction） methods were applied to investigate the microstructure of the coatings. High-temperature oxidation tests were carried out to evaluate the oxidation resistance of the ODS aluminide coatings.

A New Process for Preparing Fine-ceramic-containing Composite Coatings──Flame Spray Synthesis

Flame spray synthesis (FSS), a combination of the flame spray technology and Self-propagation High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) was developed for preparing fine-ceramic-containing composite coatings. It can simplify the preparations of powder to synthesize and deposit the desired materials in one step. The preliminary results obtained from TiC-Fe cermet coatings by FSS process are reported. The peculiar microstructure of the composite coatings, which contains very fine (<1m) and round TiC and alternate TiC-rich (Hv=11€*13GPa) and TiC-poor layers (Hv=3.0 -6.0GPa), is expected to play an important role in their tribological properties.

Fe-Cr-Y_2O_3 MICRO-CRYSTALLINE COATINGS DEPOSITED BY SERIES ELECTRO-PULSE DISCHARGE

A new technique-series electro-pulse discharge (SEPD)-was developed as a sur-face coating process. In this technique, both positive and negative poles of a pulse power were used as the depositing electrodes with the substrate alloy as an induction electrode. Fe-Cr and Fe-Cr-Y2O3 micro-crystalline coatings were deposited on stain-less steel (Fe-18Cr-8Ni) surfaces. Oxidation at 950℃ in ambient air showed that the coatings greatly improved the oxidation resistance of the steel. The addition of dis-persed Y2O3 nano-particles into the alloy coatings was found to further reduce the scaling rate and enhance the adhesion of oxide scales.

Influence of Y_2O_3 on the Oxidation Behaviour of a β-NiAl Coating

A new-type of β-NiAl coating containing Y_2O_3 particles was obtained by electrolytic co-deposition and pack aluminizing techniques,and the influences of the nature of Y_2O_3 and its content on the oxidation behaviour of the coating at 1100℃ were studied.The test results indicate that the oxidation rates of the composite coatings are reduced and the scale adhesion is also improved remarkably.The content of Y_2O_3 has little influence on the oxidation rates of the composite coatings,but does obviously on the scale adhesion by modifying the configura- tion of the oxides at the scale-coating interface.The needle-like oxides penetrating into the coating show an obvious keying effect.A part of the dispersed Y_2O_3 in the as-deposited coating accumulates and forms a Y_2O_3-rich layer at the coating-substrate interface immediately after aluminizing.The layer is beneficial to reduce the degradation of the composite coating.

Colloidal Alumina-bonded TiB_2 Coating on Cathode Carbon Blocks in Aluminum Cells

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) with reduction process was used to fabricate TiB2 powder from TiO2-B2O3-Mg system. The colloidal alumina-bonded TiB2 paste was prepared and coated on the cathode carbon blocks. Various properties of the baked paste such as the corrosive resistance, thermal expansion and wettability were tested. Experimental results showed that the colloidal alumina-bonded TiB2 coating could be well wetted by liquid aluminum; and the thermal expansion coefficient of the coated material was 5.8x10(-6) degreesC(-1) at 20-1000 degreesC, which was close to that of the traditional anthracite block cathode (4x10(-6) degreesC(-1)); the electrical resistivity was 8 mu Omega (.)m at 900 degreesC when the content of alumina in the coated material was about 9% in mass fraction. In addition, some other good results such as sodium resistance were also reported.

Double SiC Oxidation Protective Coating on C/C Composites Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering

Easy oxidation of carbon limits applications of carbon-carbon composites in an oxygen-containing environment. In this study, a two-layer SiC coating was prepared on carbon-carbon composites by a Spark plasma sintering technology at 1350°C for 1 min. The coating was mainly composed of β-SiC and Si and well bonded with the substrate. The double SiC coating could effectively protect the C/C composites from oxidation at 1600°C for 120 h, and the corresponding weight loss was only 2.62%.

Microstructure and high-temperature oxidation behavior of plasma-sprayed Si/Yb2SiO5 environmental barrier coatings

An environmental barrier coating(EBC) consisting of a silicon bond coat and an Yb2-SiO5 top-coat was sprayed on a carbon fibers reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composite(CMC) by atmospheric plasma spray(APS). The microstructure of the coating annealed at 1300 ℃ and its high-temperature oxidation behavior at 1350 ℃ were investigated. The significant mass loss of silica during the plasma spray process led to the formation of Yb2SiO5 and Yb2O3 binary phases in the top-coat. Eutectics of Yb2SiO5 and Yb2O3 were precipitated in the top-coat, and channel cracks were formed in the top-coat after 20 h annealing because of the mismatch between the coefficients of thermal expansion(CTEs) of Yb2SiO5 and the SiC substrate. The EBC effectively improved the oxidation resistance of the CMC substrate. The channel cracks in the Yb2SiO5 top-coat provided inward diffusion channels for oxygen and led to the formation of oxidation delamination cracks in the bond coat, finally resulting in spallation failure of the coating after 80 h oxidation.

Microstructure and high-temperature properties of Fe-Ti-Cr-Mo-B-C-Y2O3 laser cladding coating

Fe-based composite coatings were fabricated on 5 CrNiMo die steel by laser beam melting a precursor mixture of ferrotitanium,ferrochromium,ferromolybdenum,B4 C and Y2 O3 powders.Micro structure and properties of the coatings were studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy-dispersive spectrometer(EDS),resistance furnace and high-temperature tribometer.The results show that(Ti,Mo)C particles with flower-like and(Ti,Mo)B2 with block-like shapes are in situ formed during laser cladding.Volume faction of multiple ceramic particles increases with the increasing of Y2 O3.The cumulative oxidation mass of the coating with 2 wt% Y2 O3 is decreased by one-third than that of the coating without Y2 O3.The oxidation layer of the coating with Y2 O3 is getting smooth.Meanwhile,high temperature wear volume loss of the coating with 2 wt% Y2 O3 is about 40% that of the coating without Y2 O3.The coating with 2 wt% Y2 O3 shows a smoother wear scar and few flat grooves are observed after high temperature wear test.

Composition optimization, high-temperature stability, and thermal cycling performance of Sc-doped Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) thermal barrier coatings: Theoretical and experimental studies

Sc was doped into Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) for expanding the potential for thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. The solid solution mechanism of Sc in the Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) lattice, and the mechanical and thermophysical properties of the doped Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) were systematically studied by the first-principles method, based on which the Sc doping content was optimized. Additionally, Sc-doped Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) TBCs with the optimized composition were prepared by air plasma spraying using YSZ as a bottom ceramic coating (Gd-Sc/YSZ TBCs), and their sintering behavior and thermal cycling performance were examined. Results revealed that at low Sc doping levels, Sc has a large tendency to occupy the lattice interstitial sites, and when the doping content is above 11.11 at%, Sc substituting for Gd in the lattice becomes dominant. Among the doped Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7), the composition with 16.67 at% Sc content has the lowest Pugh’s indicator (G/B) and the highest Poisson ratio (σ) indicative of the highest toughness, and the decreasing trends of Debye temperature and thermal conductivity slow down at this composition. By considering the mechanical and thermophysical properties comprehensively, the Sc doping content was optimized to be 16.67 at%. The fabricated Gd-Sc coatings remain phase and structural stability after sintering at 1400 ℃ for 100 h. Gd-Sc/YSZ TBCs exhibit excellent thermal shock resistance, which is related to the good thermal match between Gd-Sc and YSZ coatings, and the buffering effect of the YSZ coating during thermal cycling. These results revealed that Sc-doped Gd_(2)Zr_(2)O_(7) has a high potential for TBC applications, especially for the composition with 16.67 at% Sc content.

Microstructures and high-temperature self-lubricating wearresistance mechanisms of graphene-modified WC–12Co coatings

To reduce the friction coefficient of cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide(WC–12Co)wear-resistant coatings,graphene was compounded into WC–12Co powder via wet ball milling and spray granulation.Selflubricating and wear-resistant graphene coatings were prepared via detonation gun spraying.The presence,morphologies,and phase compositions of graphene in the powders and coatings that are obtained through different powder preparation processes were analyzed.The analysis was performed using the following technologies:energy-dispersive X-ray-spectroscopy(EDXS),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and Raman spectroscopy.The mechanical properties of the coatings were studied using a microhardness tester and a universal drawing machine.The friction and wear properties of the coatings were studied using an SRV-4 friction and wear tester.The results showed that the graphene content in the WC–12Co coating modified with graphene was higher than that without modification;graphene was embedded in the structure in a transparent and thin-layer state.The adhesive strength of this coating at approximately 25°C was approximately 60.33 MPa,and the hardness was approximately 984 HV0.3.After high-temperature treatment,the adhesive strength and hardness of the graphene oxide(GO)/WC–12Co coating decreased slightly(the lowest adhesive strength of 53.16 MPa was observed after treatment at 400°C,and the lowest hardness of approximately 837 HV0.3 was observed after treatment at 300°C).Compared to the friction coefficient(0.6)of the WC–12Co coating obtained at room temperature,the friction coefficient of the GO/WC–12Co coating was decreased by approximately 50%of that value.The graphene-modified coating was continuously exposed to the wear tracks on the surface of the contacting materials during friction,and a lubricating film was formed in the microareas in which the wear tracks were present.The coating exhibited improved self-lubricating and wear-resistant effects compared to the unmodified WC–12Co coating.The results of this study demonstrated that graphene could be effective in self-lubrication and wear-reduction in a temperature range of 100–200°C,as a friction coefficient of 0.3 was maintained.

Preparation of ZrB_(2)-MoSi_(2) high oxygen resistant coating using nonequilibrium state powders by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

To achieve high oxygen blocking structure of the ZrB_(2)-MoSi_(2) coating applied on carbon structural material,ZrB_(2)-MoSi_(2) coating was prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS)method utilizing ZrB_(2)-MoSi_(2) composite powders synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis(SHS)technique as raw materials.The oxygen blocking mechanism of the ZrB_(2)-MoSi_(2) coatings at 1973 K was investigated.Compared with commercial powders,the coatings prepared by SHS powders exhibited superior density and inferior oxidation activity,which significantly heightened the structural oxygen blocking ability of the coatings in the active oxidation stage,thus characterizing higher oxidation protection efficiency.The rise of MoSi_(2) content facilitated the dispersion of transition metal oxide nanocrystals(5-20 nm)in the SiO_(2) glass layer and conduced to the increasing viscosity,thus strengthening the inerting impact of the compound glass layer in the inert oxidation stage.Nevertheless,the ZrB_(2)-40 vol% MoSi_(2) coating sample prepared by SHS powders presented the lowest oxygen permeability of 0.3% and carbon loss rate of 0.29×10^(6)g·cm^(-2)·s^(-1).Owing to the gradient oxygen partial pressure inside the coatings,the Si-depleted layer was developed under the compound glass layer,which brought about acute oxygen erosion.

Microcrystalline coatings deposited by series double-pole electro-pulse discharge and its high-temperature oxidation behavior

A new technique--series electro-pulse discharge (SEPD)--was developed as a surface coating process. In this process, both positive and negative poles of a pulse power were used as the depositing electrodes and the substrate alloy was used as an induction electrode. The physical process for such SEPD was tested by measuring the relationship between the discharge voltages and gaps in a pin-plate-pin system. Microcrystalline Ni20Cr alloy coatings and oxide- dispersed Ni20Cr alloy coatings were prepared on Ni20Cr alloy surface by using a vibrating SEPD device. Oxidation at 950℃ in ambient air showed that the microcrystalline Ni20Cr alloy coatings greatly improved the oxidation resistance of the substrate alloy. The addition of dispersed Y2O3 nano-particles into the microcrystalline coatings was found to further reduce the oxidation rate and enhance the oxide spallation resistance.