Abstract:Nanocrystalline powders of yttrium partially stabilized zirconia (YPSZ) are reprocessed into agglomerated feedstocks for plasma spraying thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), using the methods of ball milling, slurry dispersion, spray drying, and heat treatment. Atmospheric plasma is used to spray the agglomerated nanocrystalline particle feedstocks and coatings were deposited on the substrate of Ni-based superalloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to examine the morphology and cross-section of the agglomerated feedstocks and the free-section and cross-section of the nanostructured TBCs. Experimental results show that the agglomerated nanocrystalline particles are spherical and dense. Unlike conventional plasma-sprayed coatings, the micron/nano/micron sandwich structure can be found in the nanostructured YPSZ coatings deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying.
