Axial Suspension Plasma Spraying Research Articles

Axial suspension plasma sprayed Ag-TiO2 coating for enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties

Ag-TiO2 coating has been extensively studied for its antimicrobial and photocatalytic applications. In this study, we developed a straightforward and efficient method with use of Axial Suspension Plasma Spray (ASPS) to deposit Ag-TiO2 coatings. In ASPS, a suspension containing AgNO3 solution and TiO2 particles (pure anatase) was prepared and plasma sprayed on SS304 stainless steel substrate to form the Ag-TiO2 coating. The microstructure, photocatalytic activity, and antibacterial property against E-coli (CFT073 and C1214) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA, USA300) of the deposited coating were characterized. Results showed the deposited Ag-TiO2 is a composite coating consisting of anatase, rutile and Ag nanoparticles. The introduction of a small amount of Ag (up to 0.2at% of Ag/Ti in the coating) exhibited a significant increase in photocatalytic activity, achieving a rate at least twice as fast as that of the TiO2 coating without Ag in the methyl orange degradation test. Moreover, these Ag-TiO2 coatings demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial activity, completely inactivating E. coli CFT073, effectively inhibiting the growth of E. coli C1214 by four orders of magnitude and MRSA by nearly three orders of magnitude. The employment of ASPS, in conjunction with AgNO3 solution, presents a simple and effective approach for the production of nano Ag particles in a composite coating. This technique has great potential in surface modification on medical devices for anti-infective purpose.

Multilayer GZ/YSZ thermal barrier coating from suspension and solution precursor plasma spray

Gas turbines rely on thermal barrier coating (TBC) to thermally insulate the nickel-based superalloys underneath during operation; however, current TBCs, yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ), limit the operating temperature and hence efficiency. At an operating temperature above 1200 °C, YSZ is susceptible to failure due to phase instability and CMAS (Calcia-Magnesia-Alumina-Silica) attack. Gadolinium zirconates (GZ) could overcome the drawback of YSZ, complementing each other with the multi-layer approach. This study introduces a novel approach utilising axial suspension plasma spray (ASPS) and axial solution precursor plasma spray (ASPPS) to produce a double-layer and a triple-layer TBCs with improved CMAS resistance. The former comprised suspension plasma sprayed GZ and YSZ layers while the latter had an additional dense layer deposited through a solution precursor to minimise the columnar gaps that pre-existed in the SPS GZ layer, thus resisting CMAS infiltration. Both coatings performed similarly in furnace cycling test (FCT) and burner rig testing (BRT). In the CMAS test, the triple-layer coating exhibited better CMAS reactivity, as evidenced by the limited CMAS infiltration observed on the surface.

Microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties of YSZ thermal barrier coatings deposited by axial suspension plasma spraying

Yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are indispensable elements of present-day turbine propulsion systems. The ones deposited with atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) are characterized by required low thermal conductivity, but they are unable to survive frequent thermomechanical loading and therefore their application is limited to parts remaining stationary. Expanding capability of TBCs is sought in various areas, but the one realized through modification of most proliferated apparatus used for plasma spraying (PS) (from radial to axial injection) and substituting micrometric powders with the nano-structured suspension needs least changes in the industry established procedures and offers the highest property improvement. The present experiment covered the deposition of ZrO2-8Y2O3 YSZ TBC using both atmospheric and suspension PS processes. They were performed with commercial micrometric and nano-structured YSZ (8% Y2O3) powders. The coatings morphology and microstructure were characterized with 3D profilometry, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) methods. Finally, the coating’s hardness and heat conductivity were measured. This complex approach allowed to state that PS of micrometric t’-ZrO2 powder having an admixture of m-ZrO2 phase is capable of only partial improvement in its homogenization. However, the suspension PS process of nano-structured powder eliminated any traces of the monoclinic phase from the coating. The TEM microstructure observations indicated that the suspension PS coating is built by in-flight solidified droplets as well as by the melted ones flattened on arrival. A surface layer of liquefied material on solid droplets increases their adhesion to surface asperities promoting pseudo-columnar growth of the coating. The preservation of monotonic slow increase of thermal conductivity during heating of the suspension PS coating means, that its pseudo-columnar microstructure is better suited to withstand high strains during such treatment.

Influence of Graphene Nanoplatelets on the Performance of Axial Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coatings.

Axial suspension plasma spraying (ASPS) is an alternative technique to atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), which uses a suspension of much finer powders (<5-micron particle size) as the feedstock. It can produce more refined microstructures than APS for biomedical implants. This paper highlights the influence of incorporated graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the behavior of ASPS hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings. The characterization of the ASPS coatings (HAp + varying GNP contents) was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), white light interferometry (WLI), and contact angle measurements. The evaluation of the mechanical properties such as the hardness, roughness, adhesion strength, and porosity was carried out, along with a fretting wear performance. Additionally, the biocompatibility of the Hap + GNP coatings was evaluated using cytotoxicity testing which revealed a decrease in the cell viability from 92.7% to 85.4%, with an increase in the GNP wt.%. The visualization of the cell's components was carried out using SEM and Laser Scanning Microscopy. Furthermore, the changes in the genetic expression of the various cellular markers were assessed to analyze the epigenetic changes in human mesenchymal stem cells. The gene expression changes suggested that GNPs upregulated the proliferation marker and downregulated the pluripotent markers by a minimum of three folds.

Evaluation of major factors influencing the TBC topcoat formation in axial suspension plasma spraying (SPS)

AbstractSuspension plasma spraying (SPS) is ideally suited to produce porous or dense columnar, strain‐tolerant thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and also offers the possibility of producing other microstructures such as feathery and dense vertically cracked coatings. The specific properties of the TBC are significantly influenced by the formed microstructure, that is, affected by feedstock material and process parameters. In this work, the effects of various process parameters in the SPS process are investigated. It was found that the suspension feed rate has a significant effect on the microstructure, especially on the column density of the coating, whereas the suspension solids content mainly affects the coating porosity. Additionally, the surface roughness and topography of the bond coat are crucial for the formation of columnar coatings and were therefore investigated. Despite comparable roughness values for as‐sprayed bond coats for high velocity oxy fuel and vacuum plasma spray produced coatings, the surface structures differ significantly from each other and affect the microstructure of the deposited topcoat. Characterization of mechanical properties by means of micro‐indenter can be suitable for columnar coatings to determine Young's modulus within a column. However, due to the heterogeneity of the coating, the method is not suitable to describe the mechanical properties of the topcoat.

Wear Behavior Analysis of Al2O3 Coatings Manufactured by APS and HVOF Spraying Processes Using Powder and Suspension Feedstocks

Thermally sprayed ceramic coatings are applied for the protection of surfaces that are exposed mainly to wear, high temperatures, and corrosion. In recent years, great interest has been garnered by spray processes with submicrometric and nanometric feedstock materials, due to the refinement of the structure and improved coating properties. This paper compares the microstructure and tribological properties of alumina coatings sprayed using conventional atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), and various methods that use finely grained suspension feedstocks, namely, suspension plasma spraying (SPS) and suspension high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying (S-HVOF). Furthermore, the suspension plasma-sprayed Al2O3 coatings have been deposited with radial (SPS) and axial (A-SPS) feedstock injection. The results showed that all suspension-based coatings demonstrated much better wear resistance than the powder-sprayed ones. S-HVOF and axial suspension plasma spraying (A-SPS) allowed for the deposition of the most dense and homogeneous coatings. Dense-structured coatings with low porosity (4 vol.%) and good cohesion to the metallic substrate, containing a high content of α–Al2O3 phase (56 vol.%) and a very low wear rate (0.2 ± 0.04 mm3 × 10−6/(N∙m)), were produced with the S-HVOF method. The wear mechanism of ceramic coatings included the adhesive wear mode supported by the fatigue-induced material delamination. Moreover, the presence of wear debris and tribofilm was confirmed. Finally, the coefficient of friction for the coatings was in the range between 0.44 and 0.68, with the highest values being recorded for APS sprayed coatings.

Ceramic Coatings Deposited from Fine Particles by Different Spraying Processes

Plasma spraying of fine particles promises uniform microstructure and improved properties for ceramic coatings due to the formation of small splats with reduced residual stress and pore size. Although spraying fine particles is challenging due to the poor rheological properties of particles (e.g., low flowability and agglomeration), the potential improvements to the coatings make it an attractive option. In this study, we discussed the feasibility of fine particle spraying via three different spraying techniques, namely low-power direct current (DC) plasma spraying, axial suspension plasma spraying (ASPS), and plasma-assisted aerosol deposition or hybrid aerosol deposition (HAD). Low-power DC plasma was sufficient to melt and deposit fine particles in an ambient atmosphere without using a liquid carrier. The fabricated coatings had similar features to those of ASPS coatings of small splats (5–8 µm in diameter without internal cracks). The fabricated coatings by the low-power DC plasma showed almost equivalent properties to that of the conventional plasma-sprayed coating while providing low energy consumption. Fine particles deposited via the HAD process led to the coatings with improved microstructure without pores or cracks. During the HAD process, particle melting was not required for deposition, and using the plasma assisted the surface activation and improved the deposition efficiency of the aerosol deposition process. The fabricated HAD coating revealed improved microstructure with the highest hardness, Young’s modulus, and adhesion strength and lack of pores or cracks compared to the coatings fabricated by other plasma spray techniques. In addition, similarities and differences among the techniques for spraying fine ceramic particles were investigated.

Microstructure and failure analysis of suspension plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings

Improvements in performance of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) used in gas turbine engines are highly desired as they can result in higher engine efficiency leading to reduction of harmful emissions. Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) has been shown to produce high performance porous columnar TBCs that can provide low thermal conductivity and high durability. Apart from the topcoat microstructure and chemistry, the lifetime of TBCs is also dependent on bondcoat microstructure and chemistry, and topcoat-bondcoat interface roughness. In case of SPS TBCs, the interface roughness can significantly affect the columnar topcoat microstructure, thus making the bondcoat selection even more crucial.In this work, six different sets of samples were produced by fabricating bondcoats with conventional atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), high velocity air fuel (HVAF) spraying, or hybrid water/argon stabilised plasma (WSP-H) gun, and SPS topcoats using axial SPS (ASPS) or WSP-H spray guns. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of varying the topcoat microstructure, bondcoat microstructure and topcoat-bondcoat interface roughness on oxide growth behaviour and thermal cyclic fatigue (TCF) lifetime of SPS TBCs. Samples after failure were investigated to understand the failure mechanism in each case.The results showed that changing the bondcoat spray process and spray gun resulted in significant variation in bondcoat surface roughness. A porous columnar structure was created by the ASPS process, while a feathery columnar structure was created by the WSP-H spray gun in this study. Samples with WSP-H bondcoat resulted in highest cyclic lifetime in this study, despite showing severe oxidation of the bondcoat as compared to APS and HVAF bondcoats. This result could be attributed to the very high bondcoat surface roughness in these samples that could have resulted in improved mechanical anchoring of the topcoat. The HVAF bondcoats showed the best oxidation resistance in this study.

Effects of Plasma–Suspension Interaction on Axial Injection DC Suspension Plasma Spray

A rotationally axisymmetric 2-D numerical simulation of a dc suspension plasma spray (SPS) torch with an axial injection system is performed to discuss the interaction between the plasma fluid and suspensions. A two-way coupling model is used for modeling the behavior of plasma fluid and suspensions with mutual interaction effects through momentum and energy transfer. To deeply understand the mutual interaction effects, the numerical simulation using a one-way coupling model, in which the influence of suspensions on the characteristics of plasma fluid is not taken into account, is also performed for comparison. A suspension feed rate is parametrically varied to discuss its influence on the characteristics of plasma fluid and suspensions. Numerical results show that the two-way interaction substantially impacts the velocities and temperatures of plasma fluid and suspensions, and the trajectories of suspensions in the dc SPS torch with an axial injection system. It is also shown from the numerical results that the increase in suspension feed rate results in decreasing the electric current density around the central axis of the plasma torch and expanding the region with electric current in the radial direction.

Axial Suspension Plasma Spraying: An ultimate technique to tailor Ti6Al4V surface with HAp for orthopaedic applications.

Dissolution of atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings on Ti-6Al-4 V medical implants have always been a challenge to overcome in the field of biomedical industry. In the present work, an attempt has been made to develop a HAp coating using a novel thermal spray process called axial suspension plasma spraying (SPS), which leads to thin adherent coatings. Two HAp coatings fabricated by APS (P1 and P2) and four SPS HAp coatings (S1, S2, S3 and S4) produced with varying spraying parameters were characterized in terms of (1) microstructure, porosity, hardness, adhesion strength, contact angle and phase purity; (2) corrosion resistance in 10% Fetal bovine serum (FBS); (3) in-vitro cell adherence and cell viability using human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Amongst different APS and SPS coatings, P1 and S3 exhibited superior properties. S3 coating developed using SPS exhibited 1.3 times higher adhesion strength when compared to APS coating (P1) and 9.5 times higher corrosion resistance than P1. In addition, both S3 and P1 exhibited comparatively higher biocompatibility as evidenced by the presence of more than 92% viable hMSCs.

Microstructural Evolution and Sintering of Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Columnar Thermal Barrier Coatings

Suspension plasma spray (SPS) is capable of producing coatings with porous columnar structure, and it is also a much cheaper process compared to the conventionally used electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). Although TBCs with a columnar microstructure that are fabricated using SPS have typically lower thermal conductivity than EB-PVD, they are used sparingly in the aerospace industry due to their lower fracture toughness and limited lifetime expectancy. Lifetime of TBCs is highly influenced by the topcoat microstructure. The objective of this work was to study the TBCs produced using axial SPS with different process parameters. Influence of the microstructure on lifetime of the coatings was of particular interest, and it was determined by thermal cyclic fatigue testing. The effect of sintering on microstructure of the coatings exposed to high temperatures was also investigated. Porosity measurements were taken using image analysis technique, and thermal conductivity of the coatings was determined by laser flash analysis. The results show that axial SPS is a promising method of producing TBCs having various microstructures with good lifetime. Changes in microstructure of topcoat due to sintering were seen evidently in porous coatings, whereas dense topcoats showed good resistance against sintering.

Controlling the coating microstructure on axial suspension plasma spray process

This study presents the elaboration of controlled microstructure of yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) coatings by using an axial suspension plasma spraying (SPS) system. Several 8YSZ coatings were fabricated from porous to dense by using same starting feedstock powder via adjustment of the suspension concentration and the deposition distance. The microstructure control is strongly related to the flying droplet size and its momentum in front of the substrate surface. Both aspects significantly determine the droplet flattening behavior, the deposit size, and therefore the final coating microstructure.

Sintering behavior of columnar thermal barrier coatings deposited by axial suspension plasma spraying (SPS)

During the last decade, Suspension Plasma Spraying (SPS) attracted a lot of interest as an alternative process to produce columnar Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs). In this study, columnar TBCs were deposited with SPS. After spraying, samples were isothermally annealed at 1373 K for 1 h, 3 h, 10 h and 50 h, respectively. Microstructures and mechanical properties of the ceramic coatings were investigated as a function of annealing time. Annealing resulted in healing of micro-cracks, coarsening of pores, growth of domain size, companied with a decrease of porosity within columns. The change of coating microstructure led to change of mechanical properties. In addition, residual stress in SPS coatings was also investigated. Furthermore, as-sprayed coatings and pre-annealed coatings were subjected to burner rig tests. Short time pre-annealing allowed to enhance thermal cycling lifetime of such SPS coatings. The thermal cycling results were related to microstructure modifications of coatings.

Tailored microstructures of gadolinium zirconate/YSZ multi-layered thermal barrier coatings produced by suspension plasma spray: Durability and erosion testing

This work employed an axial suspension plasma spray (SPS) process to deposit two different gadolinium zirconate (GZ) based triple layered thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). The first was a ‘layered’ TBC (GZ dense/GZ/YSZ) where the base layer was YSZ, intermediate layer was a relatively porous GZ and the top layer was a relatively dense GZ. The second triple layered TBC was a ‘composite’ TBC (GZ dense/GZ + YSZ/YSZ) comprising of an YSZ base layer, a GZ + YSZ intermediate layer and a dense GZ top layer. The as sprayed TBCs (layered and composite) were characterized using SEM/EDS and XRD. Two different methods (water intrusion and image analysis) were used to measure the porosity content of the as sprayed TBCs. Fracture toughness measurements were made on the intermediate layers (GZ + YSZ layer of the composite TBC and porous GZ layer of the layered TBC respectively) using micro indentation tests. The GZ + YSZ layer in the composite TBC was shown to have a slightly higher fracture toughness than the relatively porous GZ layer in the layered TBC. Erosion performance of the as sprayed TBCs was evaluated at room temperature where the composite TBC showed higher erosion resistance than the layered TBC. However, in the burner rig test conducted at 1400 °C, the layered TBC showed higher thermal cyclic lifetime than the composite TBC. Failure analysis of the thermally cycled and eroded TBCs was performed using SEM and XRD.

Analysis of single splats produced by axial suspension plasma spraying

ABSTRACTAxial suspension plasma spraying (ASPS) is a relatively new, innovative technique with which microstructures have been produced that are similar to the ones produced by electron beam physical vapor deposition. They have a columnar structure and consist of nm- and µm-sized pores. However, so far the formation of the microstructure is not fully understood because fragmentation and vaporisation of the liquid significantly affects the deposition process. Analysis of single splats can provide important information on the phenomena controlling the coating formation process and the final coating properties. Therefore, the present study aims at providing first results of 8 wt-% yttria-stabilised zirconia single splats sprayed onto a steel substrate by use of ASPS. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used to characterise the splats with respect to appearance, shape, and size distribution.

Tailoring columnar microstructure of axial suspension plasma sprayed TBCs for superior thermal shock performance

This paper investigates the thermal shock behavior of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) produced by axial suspension plasma spraying (ASPS). TBCs with different columnar microstructures were subjected to cyclic thermal shock testing in a burner rig. Failure analysis of these TBCs revealed a clear relationship between lifetime and porosity. However, tailoring the microstructure of these TBCs for enhanced durability is challenging due to their inherently wide pore size distribution (ranging from few nanometers up to few tens of micrometers). This study reveals that pores with different length scales play varying roles in influencing TBC durability. Fracture toughness shows a strong correlation with the lifetime of various ASPS TBCs and is found to be the prominent life determining factor. Based on the results, an understanding-based design philosophy for tailoring of the columnar microstructure of ASPS TBCs for enhanced durability under cyclic thermal shock loading is proposed.

Failure analysis of thermally cycled columnar thermal barrier coatings produced by high-velocity-air fuel and axial-suspension-plasma spraying: A design perspective

Axial-suspension-plasma spraying (ASPS) is a fairly recent thermal spray technology which enables production of ceramic top coats in TBCs, incorporating simultaneously the properties of both the conventional-plasma sprayed (highly insulating porous structures) and electron-beam-physical-vapor-deposited (strain-tolerant columnar structures) top coats. TBCs are required to insulate the hot components in a gas turbine engine against high temperature and harsh operating conditions. Periodic heating and cooling of turbine engines during operation can create severe thermal cyclic fatigue conditions which can degrade the performance of these coatings eventually leading to the failure. An in-depth experimental investigation was performed to understand the failure behavior of columnar TBCs subjected to thermal cyclic fatigue (TCF) test at 1100ᵒC. The study revealed that the TCF performance was influenced to an extent, by the top coat microstructure, but was primarily affected by the severity of thermally grown oxide (TGO) growth at the bond coat-top coat interface. Mixed failure modes comprising crack propagation through the bond coat-TGO interface, through TGO and within the top coat were identified. Based on the analysis of the experimental results and thorough discussion a novel design of microstructure for the high TCF performance columnar TBC is proposed.

Engineered architectures of gadolinium zirconate based thermal barrier coatings subjected to hot corrosion test

Gadolinium zirconate (GZ) is considered as a promising top coat candidate for high temperature TBC applications. Suspension plasma spray has shown the capability to generate a wide range of microstructures including the desirable columnar microstructure. In this study, two different TBC architectures were deposited using the axial suspension plasma spray. The first variation was a triple layered TBC comprising of thin YSZ base layer beneath a relatively porous GZ intermediate layer and a dense GZ top layer. The second variation was a composite TBC architecture of GZ and YSZ comprising of thin YSZ base layer and GZ+YSZ top layer. Cross sectional SEM analysis of the layered and composite TBCs revealed a columnar microstructure. The porosity content of the deposited TBCs was measured using two methods (Image Analysis and Water Intrusion). The as-sprayed TBCs were exposed at 900°C for 8h to a corrosive salt environment consisting of a mixture of vanadium pentoxide and sodium sulfate. XRD analysis on the as-corroded TBCs top surface showed the presence of gadolinium vanadate in both the layered and the composite TBCs. SEM/EDS analysis of the top surface and the cross-section of the layered and composite TBCs after hot corrosion test revealed the infiltration of the molten salts through the columnar gaps. The composite TBC showed a lower hot corrosion induced damage compared to the layered TBC where a considerable spallation was observed.

Development of YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings Using Axial Suspension Plasma Spraying

The axial injection of the suspension in the atmospheric plasma spraying process (here called axial suspension plasma spraying) is an attractive and advanced thermal spraying technology especially for the deposition of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). It enables the growth of columnar-like structures and, hence, combines advantages of electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) technology with the considerably cheaper atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). In the first part of this study, the effects of spraying conditions on the microstructure of yttria partially-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coats and the deposition efficiency were investigated. YSZ coatings deposited on as-sprayed bond coats with 5 wt % solid content suspension appeared to have nicely-developed columnar structures. Based on the preliminary results, the nicely developed columnar coatings with variations of the stand-off distances and yttria content were subjected to thermal cycling tests in a gas burner rig. In these tests, all columnar structured TBCs showed relatively short lifetimes compared with porous APS coatings. Indentation measurements for Young’s modulus and fracture toughness on the columns of the SPS coatings indicated a correlation between mechanical properties and lifetime for the SPS samples. A simplified model is presented which correlates mechanical properties and lifetime of SPS coatings.

Porosity investigation of yttria-stabilized zirconia topcoats using NMR cryoporometry

Axial suspension plasma spraying (ASPS) is a new, innovative plasma spray technique using a feedstock consisting of fine powder particles suspended in a liquid. With ASPS, thermal barrier coating (TBC) topcoats with columnar structures have been produced that are built up by fine powder particles. The microstructure consists of micro-, meso-, and macro-pores. Due to the wide pore size range including nano-porosity it is challenging to measure porosity and pore size distribution in TBC topcoats. However, it is important to characterize the porous structure as it affects the thermal conductivity. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) cryoporometry is a promising method for performing such measurements because of its capability of measuring pores down to nanometer size and providing information about the pore geometry. The aim of this paper is to introduce NMR cryoporometry as a new characterization technique for determining porosity, pore size distribution and pore geometry of TBC topcoats produced by ASPS. The study includes the comparison of two different yttria-stabilized zirconia topcoats and NMR cryoporometry is complemented by microstructural characterization using scanning electron microscopy.