Computer-Controlled Detonation Spraying: Flexible Control of the Coating Chemistry and Microstructure

This article is a focused review aimed to describe the potential of the computer-controlled detonation spraying (CCDS) for producing and designing coatings with variable chemical and phase compositions and microstructure and promising properties. The development of the detonation spraying method is briefly analyzed from a historical perspective and the capabilities of the state-of-the art facilities are presented. A key advantage of the CCDS is the possibility of using precisely measured quantities of the explosive gaseous mixtures for each shot of the detonation gun and different oxygen to fuel ratios, which can create spraying environments of different chemical properties—from severely oxidizing to highly reducing. The significance of careful adjustment of the spraying parameters is shown using material systems that are chemically sensitive to the composition of the spraying environment and temperature. Research performed by the authors on CCDS of different materials—metals, ceramics, intermetallics and metal-ceramic composites is reviewed. Novel applications of detonation spraying using the CCDS technology are described

Formation of Composite Coatings during Detonation Spraying of Cr₃C₂

In the current practice of applying carbide-based coatings by thermal spraying, the starting material usually contains a metal binder. However, it is important to study the possibility of spraying binder-free carbides, since the metal components usually reduce the operating temperature and corrosion resistance of cermet coatings. In this work, a powder of chromium carbide, Cr3C2, was sprayed using a CCDS2000 detonation gun. Acetylene–oxygen mixtures C2H2 + kO2 with k varying from 0.8 to 3.0 were used as an energetic material. Due to chemical reactions between Cr3C2 and the detonation products, the coatings were of composite nature (multi-phase materials) with a composition depending on k. At k values in the range from 0.8 to 1.1, along with Cr3C2, the coatings contained chromium carbonitride Cr3N0.4C1.6. In the k range from 1.3 to 2.0, Cr7C3 and Cr were the main components of the coatings. As k was increased to 3.0, along with Cr7C3 and Cr, the CrO and Cr2O3 oxides formed in the coatings. The mechanical properties and wear resistance of the coatings were found to depend on their phase compositions. Coatings produced by detonation spraying of Cr3C2 powder may be useful for increasing the corrosion resistance of machine parts to mineral acids and high-temperature oxidation resistance