Superconductive coatings fabricated via external injection into a d.c. plasma

Abstract

Collaborative research between The University of Tennessee and Osaka University is directed toward the development of High Functionally Graded Materials (Vacuum 59(1) (2000) 194). Micro-composite coatings within the ZrO 2–Al 2O 3 system were fabricated by thermal spraying of material that was injected into the plasma using a hybrid technique (Functionally graded thermal sprayed coatings via hybrid injection of powders. Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Meeting of IAPS, Vol. 10, 2001, pp. 3–8). In this work, coatings of the superconductor composition GdBa 2Cu 3O 7 were deposited using external injection of a liquid precursor. Injection angles into the plasma were, for aerosol material, 30°, 45° and 90°. Material was also injected by needle at an angle of 90° to the plasma. It was found that aerosol injection angle does affect coating properties such as hardness and Young's modulus. Coatings produced were characterized using optical microscopy, nanoindentation, and XRD; the results are reported in this paper.