Microstructure and thermal behaviour of plasma sprayed zirconia/alumina composite coating

Improving wear resistance of plasma-sprayed calcia and magnesia-stabilized zirconia mixed coating: roles of phase stability and microstructure

The phase stability and microstructure of ZrO₂-5CaO and ZrO₂-24MgO mixed coating (wt%) by air plasma spraying on 304 stainless steel substrates were investigated. A Ni-5Al (wt%) metallic bond coating was firstly sprayed between the substrate and the ceramic top layer. The results were compared with the individual coatings of ZrO₂-5CaO and ZrO₂-24MgO for a better understanding of the correlation between their microstructures and mechanical properties. Mixed zirconia coating was found to have a mixture of cubic and tetragonal phases that stabilized under different plasma spray conditions. Microscopic observations and elemental composition analysis of as-sprayed mixed coating showed that modified ceramic-matrix grains had been formed. Microsized ZrO₂-5CaO particles were embedded in the matrix grain creating an intragranular microstructure. Results indicated that ceramic-matrix grains provided a diffusion barrier for the growth of oxides induced stress near and onto the bond layer that reduced cracks, thereby overcoming the top delamination of the ceramic coating. Moreover, disparity in wear resistance and microhardness behavior of the coatings was influenced by initial feedstock powder and matrix microstructures. Improvement in the wear resistance of the mixed zirconia coating was attributed to a decrease in oxide content, which resulted in an increase in intersplat cohesive strength.

Thermal Stability of Rare Earth-PYSZ Thermal Barrier Coating with High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy

Durability of a thermal barrier coating (TBC) depends strongly on the type of mixed oxide in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) of a TBC. This study aims on discovering the effect of thermal stability in the TGO area containing mixed oxides. Two different bondcoats were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy: high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and air-plasma spray (APS), under isothermal and thermal cyclic tests at 1400 °C. The HVOF bondcoats were intact until 1079 cycles. In comparison, APS failed at the early stage of thermal cycling at 10 cycles. The phase transformation of topcoat from tetragonal to the undesired monoclinic was observed, leading to TBC failure. The results showed that the presence of transient aluminas found in HVOF bondcoat helps in the slow growth of α-Al2O3. In contrast, the APS bondcoat does not contain transient aluminas and transforms quickly to α-Al2O3 along with spinel and other oxides. This fast growth of mixed oxides causes stress at the interface (topcoat and TGO) and severely affects the TBC durability leading to early failure. Therefore, the mixed oxide with transient aluminas slows down the quick transformation into alpha-aluminas, which provides high thermal stability for a high TBC durability.