High Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying Research Articles

Preparation process, surface properties and mechanistic study of HVAF-sprayed CoCrFeNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloy coatings

The objective of this study is to develop infrared reflective coatings with excellent service performance in extreme environments, aimed at reducing system energy consumption and enhancing service life. In this work, CoCrFeNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) powder was deposited on the 316 L stainless steel (SS) substrate using High-Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) thermal spray technology. The microstructure, mechanical properties, infrared reflectivity, and corrosion resistance of the coatings under different spraying parameters were investigated and compared with those of the substrate. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was employed to analyze the influence of HVAF spraying parameters on flame characteristics and particle flight behavior, providing guidance for optimizing the spraying process and explaining underlying mechanisms. Results demonstrated that adjusting parameters such as propane and air pressure, spraying distance, and powder feed rate could produce dense coatings with <1 % porosity. The microhardness of the coatings was approximately 1.8 times that of the substrate, and the bonding strength between the coating and the substrate is increased to 39.4 MPa. Additionally, the near-infrared reflectivity of the coatings was significantly higher than that of the substrate, with an enhancement of 18.7 %. Coatings sprayed under different parameters exhibited superior passivation and pitting corrosion resistance compared to the substrate in 3.5 wt% NaCl and 1 mol/L HCl solutions. Optimization of spraying parameters further enhanced the protective capability of the passivation film and corrosion resistance. Consequently, CoCrFeNiMo0.2 HEA coatings prepared by HVAF spraying technology demonstrate excellent comprehensive performance, holding promising potential for industrial applications.

Особенности тонкой структуры Ni-Al покрытий, полученных методом HV-APS

Introduction. Development of Ni-Al intermetallic compounds is one of the priority directions of modern machine building. Due to such characteristics as high heat resistance, high temperature strength, and low density, nickel aluminides are used as functional coatings in the aerospace industry. The main methods of Ni-Al coating surfacing are High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel and High-Velocity Air-Fuel spraying (HVOF and HVAF), atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and its modification such as High-Velocity Atmospheric Plasma spraying (HV-APS) which provides non-equilibrium cooling conditions. Since there are eight different intermetallic compounds, as well as martensite transformation, Ni-Al coatings is quite interesting to study. The work purpose is to study the features of the martensitic structure in HV-APS coatings, and also to establish the effect of heating temperature on its decomposition. Materials and methods. Ni-Al coatings were surfaced onto a low-carbon steel substrate using the HV-APS method. Studies of the fine structure of the coatings were carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, the influence heating temperature on structural transformations of the coatings was analyzed. Results and discussion. Two types of particles are formed in HV-APS coatings: with a dendritic and granular structure. The most part of HV-APS coatings consists of particles with a two-phase grain structure (NiхAl1-х and γ'-Ni3Al grains). Only NiхAl1-x grains undergo martensitic transformation at cooling. Martensite in large grains (sizes greater than 500 nm) has a lamellar structure, while small grains are completely transformed into one martensite plate. In addition, the coatings contain grains in which martensite plates (NiхAl1-х) and β-phases alternated. It is shown the behavior of martensitic plates at colliding with each other, as well as with the γ′-Ni3Al grain. Heating up to 400 °C contribute the begins of martensite decomposition in individual grains with the release of a secondary phase; after heating up to 600 °C all martensite dissolves.

Microstructure, multi-scale mechanical and tribological performance of HVAF sprayed AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy coating

Thermal spray high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings have demonstrated potential for improving the wear resistance of conventional materials used in extreme engineering environments. In the present work, an equiatomic AlCoCrFeNi HEA coating was manufactured using the high velocity air fuel (HVAF) process. The phase and microstructural transformations in gas-atomized (GA) powder during HVAF spraying were analyzed using SEM, EDS and EBSD techniques. The tribological properties of this HEA coating sliding against an Al2O3 ball at both room temperature (RT) and 600 °C were also evaluated. The GA powder was composed of Body Centred Cubic (BCC) + ordered BCC (B2) phases, which transformed to BCC + B2 + minor Face Centred Cubic (FCC) phases during the HVAF coating process, validating the thermodynamic phase prediction projected by the Scheil simulation for non-equilibrium processing conditions. The rapid solidification and high velocity impact-assisted deformation of GA powder resulted in significant grain refinement in the HVAF coating, which ultimately improved the mechanical properties at both micro and nanoscale levels. The wear resistance of the HEA coating at RT was severely impacted by the relatively brittle BCC/B2 phase structure, leading to susceptibility to abrasive wear and surface fatigue. The wear resistance at 600 °C was slightly lower at RT due to the formation of a brittle oxide layer on the worn surface, which induced surface fatigue and aggravated mass loss of the coating.

Prediction of HVAF thermal spraying parameters and coating properties based on improved WOA-ANN method

In this study, high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) thermal spray technology was utilized to deposit Hastelloy C276 powder onto 316 L stainless steel substrates. The effects of various spray process parameters such as propane pressure, air pressure, spray distance, and powder feeding rate on the microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion resistance of the coatings were investigated. In addition, the coupling effects among multiple spray parameters were considered by employing a combined approach with the Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, and the mapping relationships between the spray process parameters and coating porosity, microhardness, and corrosion current density was established. The results revealed that the prepared C276 coating exhibits lower porosity, higher microhardness, and exceptional corrosion resistance. And the IWOA-ANN model outperforms the ANN model and WOA-ANN model in the prediction accuracy and stability for all three performance measures, particularly for porosity and microhardness. Furthermore, the comparison between experimental results and predicted results validates the reliability and accuracy of the trained IWOA-ANN model, demonstrating its efficacy in predicting HVAF spray parameters and coating properties.

INFLUENCE OF SPRAY DISTANCE ON THE POROSITY OF Ni-BASED AMORPHOUS COATINGS: NUMERICAL SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENT

The influence of injection distance on the porosity of Ni-based amorphous coatings (AMCs) prepared with a high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) process is discussed based on a numerical analysis and experimental methods. A computational fluid dynamics model was established to demonstrate the gas flow field and behavior of particles in flight at different spraying distances during HVAF spraying. When analyzing the changes in the particle velocity and temperature, the spraying distance is less than 30 µm. The velocity and temperature changes of small particles have a significant impact, and the optimal spray distance (350 mm) for obtaining a low porosity coating is predicted. The calculation was validated experimentally by producing a Ni-based AMC with a low porosity (1.87 %) that was manufactured using the predicted HVAF optimal spraying distance.

High Velocity Air Fuel Spraying for Metal Additive Manufacturing - A Study on Copper

High Velocity Air Fuel Spraying for Metal Additive Manufacturing - A Study on Copper

Study on wear protection performance of HVAF WC–Cr3C2–Ni coatings deposited on crystallizer surface

A crystallizer is the most crucial component of the continuous casting and rolling process, and it is required to operate effectively at high temperatures and loads for an extended period. In this study, WC–Cr3C2–Ni cermet coatings with high strength and wear resistance were deposited on the surface of a copper alloy crystallizer using high-velocity air-fuel spraying. The microstructure of the coating and its protective effect on the substrate at different temperatures were analyzed. The coating on the copper substrate was uniform and dense, with a porosity of 0.34 % and stable phases. Wear test results at room temperature showed that copper substrate underwent oxidative peeling failure when subjected to wear, and exhibited severe abrasive and adhesive wear, while WC–Cr3C2–Ni coating had no peeling damage on the surface when subjected to wear. In addition, the friction coefficient of the substrate was reduced from 0.624 to 0.489, thus significantly improving the wear resistance of the crystallizer surface. At high temperature (300 °C), the friction coefficient of coating increased to 0.676. Although the degree of oxidation and fatigue wear of the coating increased, the surface of the coating remained intact without any failure area. WC–Cr3C2–Ni coating protected the crystallizer continuously under high-temperature loading conditions for a prolonged time, indicating enhanced service life of the crystallizer. This study provides significant findings for developing new crystallizer coatings.

The Potential of High-Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying (HVAF) to Manufacture Bond Coats for Thermal Barrier Coating Systems

Driven by the search for an optimum combination of particle velocity and process temperature to achieve dense hard metal coatings at high deposition efficiencies and powder feed rates, the high-velocity air-fuel spraying process (HVAF) was developed. In terms of achievable particle velocities and temperatures, this process can be classified between high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF) and cold gas spraying (CGS). The particular advantages of HVAF regarding moderate process temperatures, high particle velocities as well as high productivity and efficiency suggest that the application of HVAF should be also investigated for the manufacture of MCrAlY (M = Co and/or Ni) bond coats (BCs) in thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems. In this work, corresponding HVAF spray parameters were developed based on detailed process analyses. Different diagnostics were carried out to characterize the working gas jet and the particles in flight. The coatings were investigated with respect to their microstructure, surface roughness and oxygen content. The spray process was assessed for its effectiveness. Process diagnostics as well as calculations of the gas flow in the jet and the particle acceleration and heating were applied to explain the governing mechanisms on the coating characteristics. The results show that HVAF is a promising alternative manufacturing process.

Microstructure, corrosion resistance, and antibacterial property of HVAF-sprayed Cu55Ti25Zr15Ni5 coating

The aim of this paper is to develop a protective coating with both corrosion resistance and microbially-influenced corrosion resistance. We reported a Cu55Ti25Zr15Ni5 amorphous powder, which was deposited into a coating by high velocity air-fuel spray. The coating was characterized via X-ray diffractometer, field-emission scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. For the electrochemical behavior, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were employed. Antibacterial property was assessed in terms of the inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study findings revealed a crystallization temperature of 465 ℃ for the powder. The coating was dense with a lamellar structure, consisting of amorphous phase, Cu0.81Ni0.19 and tetragonal-ZrO2. In seawater, the coating showed a polarization resistance of 8581 Ω·cm−2, with corrosion dominated by Warburg diffusion. The coating formed a natural Cu2O-ZrO2-TiO2 film, while the corrosion products consisting of CuO, ZrO2, and TiO2. Notably, the coating displayed a bactericidal rate of (83.1 ± 4.5)% within 24 h. This work provided valuable insights into the preparation of Cu-based amorphous coating, while demonstrating its potential to resist microbially-influenced corrosion.

Full-Cycle Numerical Modeling and Experimental Study of Random Multiparticle Impact in High-Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying of Titanium Alloys

Full-Cycle Numerical Modeling and Experimental Study of Random Multiparticle Impact in High-Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying of Titanium Alloys

Tailoring microstructural features of Cr3C2-25NiCr coatings through diverse spray variants and understanding the high-temperature erosion behavior

Thermal sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr coatings are widely used to protect industrial components from ambient or elevated erosive degradation. Various thermal spraying techniques such as plasma spray, detonation spray (DS), high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and high velocity air-fuel spray (HVAF) are widely used to deposit Cr3C2-NiCr coatings. The choice of thermal spraying technique governs the inflight particle velocity and temperature, resulting in unique coating microstructural features, characteristics and erosion performance. In this study, Cr3C2-NiCr coatings are deposited through HVAF, DS and axial plasma spray. A comprehensive comparative analysis was performed to understand the process-structure-property relationship of Cr3C2-NiCr coatings, which correlated with the room and high temperature erosion performance. HVAF spray deposited Cr3C2-NiCr coatings with preferred microstructural features and properties, ensuring superior (high/room temperature) erosive resistance. Cr3C2-NiCr coatings deposited via DS spray performed second best, while plasma sprayed exhibited defective microstructure with inferior mechanical properties, resulting in substandard erosion performance.

The Effect of High-Velocity Air-Fuel WC-12Co Coatings on the Wear and Corrosion Resistance of TC18 Titanium Alloy

TC18 titanium alloy is an essential material for aircraft landing gear. To reveal the wear and corrosion mechanisms of landing gear in service, a WC-12Co coating on a TC18 substrate was prepared by High-Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF) spraying based on optimized process parameters, and an analysis of the microscopic characterization results for the materials involved was performed. Based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, the combustion reaction and discrete phase models of HVAF spraying were established. The flame characteristics under compressible turbulence and the flight temperature and velocity of particles were calculated. The effect of the spraying parameters on the flight temperature and velocity of particles was evaluated based on the response surface method (RSM) through multiple groups of orthogonal experiments, and the optimized process parameters were determined. The mass flow rate of reactants was 0.051 kg/s, the oxygen/fuel ratio was 2.83, the mass flow rate of the nitrogen was 0.000325 kg/s, the pressure of oxygen and fuel inlet was 1 MPa, the pressure at the particles inlet was 0.6 MPa and the maximum temperature and velocity of spraying particles were 1572 K and 417 m/s, respectively. The coatings prepared with the optimized process were subjected to the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), wear, hardness, artificial seawater soaking and neutral salt spray experiments. The results showed that the mean hardness of the TC18 substrate was 401.2 HV0.3, the mean hardness of the WC-12Co coating was 1121 HV0.3, the friction coefficient between the TC18 substrate and the Si3N4 ceramic ball was 0.55 and the friction coefficient between the WC-12Co coating and the Si3N4 ceramic ball was 0.4. Compared to the TC18 substrate, the hardness of the WC-12Co coating was increased by 720 HV0.3, the friction coefficient with the Si3N4 ceramic ball decreased by 0.11, the corrosion resistance significantly improved and the maximum depth of the corrosion pits was 5 μm. The properties of the TC18 titanium alloy were effectively improved by the WC-12Co coating. The results of this study provide guidance for surface protection technologies of aircraft landing gear.

HVAF vs oxygenated HVAF spraying: Fundamental understanding to optimize Cr3C2-NiCr coatings for elevated temperature erosion resistant applications

High velocity sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr coatings are a viable solution to improve the life of power plant components and are often influenced by the choice of processing conditions. The new generation convertible high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) process offers higher versatility to spray wide ranging particle sizes including the standard high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) grade. However, the use of such oxygenated spraying termed as ‘HVAF(O)’ mode necessitates better understanding for reliable and repeatable coating. Single particle splat morphology and fracture mechanisms of HVAF and HVAF(O) sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr coatings were correlated with the microstructural features, mechanical properties and erosion performance with two different particle sizes. Among the coatings studied, HVAF(O) sprayed coarse Cr3C2-NiCr and HVAF sprayed fine Cr3C2-NiCr provided the least thermal degradation, and better mechanical properties which collectively ensured enhanced erosion performance. The overall coating performance can be attributed to the appropriate choice of process conditions and suitable particle size. In comparison with conventional HVOF process that generally induces a certain degree of thermal degradation within the hard carbides, oxygenated HVAF(O) sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr coating still retained most of the starting carbide phase with minimal thermal degradation, which resulted in superior erosion performance.

Assessment of CrFeCoNi and AlCrFeCoNi High-Entropy Alloys as Bond Coats for Thermal Barrier Coatings

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) represent a relatively new group of multicomponent alloys that have shown great potential for applications requiring tribological and oxidation resistant properties. Consequently, thermally sprayed coatings of different HEA chemistries have received increasing research attention. In this paper, atomized equimolar CrFeCoNi and AlCrFeCoNi feedstocks were used for high velocity air-fuel spraying (HVAF) to produce overlay coatings using two different nozzle configurations. The microstructure, phase constitution and hardness of the coatings were analyzed along with the primary aim of testing the coatings for their oxidation behavior. The performance of the two HEA chemistries was compared with two commercial MCrAlY coatings that are well-established bond coat materials for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). An investigation was conducted to test the coatings’ performance as bond coats by applying suspension plasma sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia top coats and evaluating the thermal cycling behavior of the TBCs. The AlCrFeCoNi-coating was found to demonstrate a lower oxidation rate than the CrFeCoNi-coating. However, the AlCrFeCoNi-coating was found to form more rapid oxide scales compared with the commercial bond coat material that also contained reactive elements.

Microstructure and Wear Properties of HVAF Sprayed Cu-Zr-Al-Ag-Co Amorphous Coatings at Different Spray Temperatures

Wear-resistant Cu-Zr-Al-Ag-Co amorphous coatings were fabricated by high-velocity air-fuel spray technology using (Cu43Zr47Al7Ag3)99.5Co0.5 powder at different temperatures (i.e., 645, 725, and 805 K). The feedstock powders (98.6 wt.% amorphous phase) were produced by a gas atomization method. Thermal properties and microstructure of the powders and the coatings were comparably investigated by differential scanning calorimeter, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Wear properties were studied by a dry sliding wear tester under the linear reciprocating sliding in a ball-on-plate mode using a GCr15 ball as the counterpart at room temperature in air. A large fraction of amorphous phase (~67.5 wt.%) and crystalline phases (ZrO2, Al2.5Cu0.5Zr, and AlZr3) are found in the coating fabricated at a temperature (725 K) between the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the onset crystallization temperature (Tx). In addition, the coating also exhibits the highest Vickers hardness (554 HV0.1), bonding strength (59.3 MPa), a relatively low porosity (1.65%), and superior wear resistance. The wear mechanism of the coating is primarily abrasive wear and slight adhesive wear.

Microstructure, Mechanical and Wear Performance of Fe-Based Amorphous Coatings Fabricated by High Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying

Microstructure, Mechanical and Wear Performance of Fe-Based Amorphous Coatings Fabricated by High Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying

Novel utilization of powder-suspension hybrid feedstock in HVAF spraying to deposit improved wear and corrosion resistant coatings

Deployment of a suspension feedstock has been known to alleviate problems associated with using sub-micron and nanosized powder feedstock for thermal spraying of monolithic as well as powder-suspension ‘hybrid’ composite coatings. However, a powder-suspension hybrid feedstock has never been previously used in high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) spraying. In this work, for the very first time, a chromium carbide (Cr3C2) suspension has been co-sprayed along with an Inconel-625 (IN-625) powder by the HVAF process as an illustrative case study. Two variants of the IN-625 + Cr3C2 hybrid coatings were produced by varying relative powder-suspension feed rates. For comparison, pure IN-625 coating was also deposited utilizing identical spray parameters. Detailed microstructural characterization, porosity content, hardness measurement and phase analysis of the as-deposited coatings was performed. The suspension-derived carbides were retained in the bulk of the coating, resulting in higher hardness. In the dry sliding wear test, the hybrid coatings demonstrated lower wear rate and higher coefficient of friction (CoF) compared to the conventional, powder-derived IN-625 coatings. Furthermore, the wear rate improved slightly with an increase in Cr3C2 content in the hybrid coating. Post-wear analysis of the worn coating, worn alumina ball and the wear debris was performed to understand the wear mechanisms and material transfer in the investigated coatings. In the potentiodynamic polarization test, higher corrosion resistance for hybrid coatings than conventional IN-625 coatings was achieved, indicating that the incorporation of a secondary, carbide phase in the IN-625 matrix did not compromise its corrosion performance. This work demonstrates a novel approach to incorporate any finely distributed second phase in HVAF sprayed coatings to enhance their performance when exposed to harsh environments.

Numerical Analysis of the Activated Combustion High-Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying Process: A Three-Dimensional Simulation with Improved Gas Mixing and Combustion Mode.

Owing to its low flame temperature and high airflow velocity, the activated combustion high-velocity air-fuel (AC-HVAF) spraying process has garnered considerable attention in recent years. Analyzing the velocity field, temperature field, and composition of AC-HVAF spray coatings plays a vital role in improving the quality of coatings. In this study, an actual spray gun is adopted as a prototype, and the radial air inlets are introduced to improve the reaction efficiency so that the chemical reaction can be completed in the combustion chamber. Furthermore, a complete three-dimensional (3D) model is established to examine the effects of radial inlets and porous ceramic sheet on the combustion and flow fields. The hexahedral cells are used to discretize the entire model for reducing the influence of false-diffusion on the calculation results. The gas flow field is simulated by the commercial Fluent software, and the results indicate that the porous ceramic sheet effectively reduces the turbulent dissipation of the airflow with a good rectification effect (the ceramic sheet ensures a consistent airflow direction). The radial inlets and the porous ceramic sheet promote the formation of vortex in the combustion chamber, increase the residence time and stroke of the gas in the combustion chamber, and improve the probability of chemical reactions. In addition, it is observed that the stability of velocity for the airflow is strongly related to the airflow density.

Room-Temperature and High-Temperature Wear Behaviors of As-Sprayed and Annealed Cr3C2-25NiCr Coatings Prepared by High Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying

Cr3C2-25NiCr coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrates by high velocity air-fuel (HVAF) spraying. Friction and wear behaviors of as-sprayed and annealed coatings were investigated both at room-temperature (RT) and 600 °C (high-temperature, HT). The results show that annealing at 600 °C in air is effective to enhance the wear performances of the coating both at RT and HT. The enhanced wear resistance of annealed coatings is discussed from the oxide growth and the microstructural evolution of the coatings. The wear behavior of the annealed coating follows the abrasive mechanism at RT and changes to an oxidative wear at HT, in which formation of a tribo-oxide layer plays a critical role to reduce the friction coefficient and to protect the underlying coatings from abrasive damage. The findings of this work reveal the significance of oxide-scale growth and microstructural evolution on the HT wear behaviors of the Cr3C2-25NiCr coating, which provides strategies for enhancing the wear properties of such coatings for HT applications.

Advanced Coatings by Thermal Spray Processes

Coatings are pivotal in combating problems of premature component degradation in aggressive industrial environments and constitute a strategic area for continued development. Thermal spray (TS) coatings offer distinct advantages by combining versatility, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to coat complex geometries without constraints of other in-chamber processes. Consequently, TS techniques like high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and atmospheric plasma spray (APS) are industrially well-accepted. However, they have reached limits of their capabilities while expectations from coatings progressively increase in pursuit of enhanced efficiency and productivity. Two emerging TS variants, namely high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) and liquid feedstock thermal spraying, offer attractive pathways to realize high-performance surfaces superior to those hitherto achievable. Supersonic HVAF spraying provides highly adherent coatings with negligible porosity and its low processing temperature also ensures insignificant thermal ‘damage’ (oxidation, decarburization, etc.) to the starting material. On the other hand, liquid feedstock derived TS coatings, deposited using suspensions of fine particles (100 nm–5 µm) or solution precursors, permits the production of coatings with novel microstructures and diverse application-specific architectures. The possibility of hybrid processing, combining liquid and powder feedstock, provides further opportunities to fine tune the properties of functional surfaces. These new approaches are discussed along with some illustrative examples.