10 research outputs found
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An investigation of particle trajectories and melting in an air plasma sprayed zirconia
The partially stabilized zirconia powders used to plasma spray thermal barrier coatings typically exhibit broad particle-size distributions. There are conflicting reports in the literature about the extent of injection-induced particle-sizing effects in air plasma-sprayed materials. If significant spatial separation of finer and coarser particles in the jet occurs, then one would expect it to play an important role in determining the microstructure and properties of deposits made from powders containing a wide range of particle sizes. This paper presents the results of a study in which a commercially available zirconia powder was fractionated into fine, medium, and coarse cuts and sprayed at the same torch conditions used for the ensemble powder. Diagnostic measurements of particle surface temperature, velocity, and number-density distributions in the plume for each size-cut and for the ensemble powder are reported. Deposits produced by traversing the torch back and forth to produce a raised bead were examined metallographically to study their shape and location with respect to the torch centerline and to look at their internal microstructure. The results show that, for the torch conditions used in this study, the fine, medium, and coarse size-cuts all followed the same mean trajectory. No measureable particle segregation effects were observed. Considerable differences in coatings microstructure were observed. These differences can be explained by the different particle properties measured in the plume
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Wire melting and droplet atomization in a high velocity oxy-fuel jet
Coatings produced by feeding a steel wire into a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) torch are being intensively studied by the automotive industry as a cost-effective alternative to the more expensive cast iron sleeves currently used in aluminum engine blocks. The microstructure and properties of the sprayed coatings and the overall economics of the process depend critically on the melting and atomization occurring at the wire tip. This paper presents results characterizing several aspects of wire melting and droplet breakup in an HVOF device. Fluctuations in the incandescent emission of the plume one centimeter downstream from the wire tip were recorded using a fast photodiode. A Fourier transform of the light traces provided a measure of the stripping rate of molten material from the wire tip. Simultaneous in-flight measurement of atomized particle size and velocity distributions were made using a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA). The recorded size distributions approximate a log-normal distribution. Small particles traveled faster than large particles, but the difference was considerably smaller than simple aerodynamic drag arguments would suggest. A set of experiments was carried out to determine the effect that variations in torch gas flow rates have on wire melt rate, average particle size, and average particle velocity. The observed variation of particle size with spray condition is qualitatively consistent with a Weber breakup of the droplets coming off the wire. The measurements also showed that it was possible to significantly alter atomized particle size and velocity without appreciably changing the wire melt rate
The relationship between the microstructure and thermal diffusivity of plasma-sprayed tungsten coatings
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Current problems in plasma spray processing
This detailed report summarizes 8 contributions from a thermal spray conference that was held in late 1991 at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, Long Island, NY, USA). The subject of Plasma Spray Processing'' is presented under subject headings of Plasma-particle interactions, Deposit formation dynamics, Thermal properties of thermal barrier coatings, Mechanical properties of coatings, Feed stock materials, Porosity: An integrated approach, Manufacture of intermetallic coatings, and Synchrotron x-ray microtomographic methods for thermal spray materials. Each section is intended to present a concise statement of a specific practical and/or scientific problem, then describe current work that is being performed to investigate this area, and finally to suggest areas of research that may be fertile for future activity