Role of Lamellae Morphology on the Microstructural Development and Mechanical Properties of Small-Particle Plasma-Sprayed Alumina

The influence of spray parameters on the microstructure and flexural strength of plasma-sprayed alumina was investigated. Coatings were applied using a small-particle plasma spray (SPPS) method, which is a recently patented process that allows submicrometer-sized powders to be sprayed. Using identical starting powders, coatings that were produced using two distinctly different spray conditions exhibited significant differences in both microstructure and strength. Scanning electron microscopy investigations of single lamellae (or splats) revealed that, for one spray condition, melted alumina particles will splash when they contact the substrate. The morphology of the splats that comprised the subsequent layers of the coating also were highly fragmented and thinner than lamellae formed under “nonsplashing” spray conditions. The surface roughness was strongly dependent on the morphology of the lamellae; increased roughness was noted for fragmented splats. Thick coatings that were comprised of splashed splats developed a unique microstructural feature that was responsible for the observed increase in roughness. These microstructural differences greatly influenced the flexure strength, which varied from 75 6 21 MPa for the nonsplashing spray condition to 17 6 2.4 MPa for the “splashing” condition.