Suspension Plasma Spray Coatings for Emerging Applications (21/03/23)

Speaker & Affiliation:

Prof. Nicolaie Markocsan
University West, Trollhättan, Sweden
E-mail: nicolaie.markocsan@hv.se

When ?

21st March, 2023 (Tuesday), 2.15 pm (IST)

Venue

KPA Auditorium, Department of Materials Engineering

Abstract

Extensive research and development efforts have been devoted over the past decades to develop new coating microstructures that give better functional performances under different working environments. Suspension Plasma Spraying (SPS) is a relatively new coating process that enables the deposition of ultrafine droplets (typically from nano- to sub-micron size) that permits the production of coatings with unique microstructures, one or two orders of magnitude finer than those achieved typically in other thermal spray processes. In this presentation the latest results in this field, emphasizing those achieved by axial suspension plasma spraying, are highlighted.

The major application of SPS coatings has been Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) for gas turbine applications. However, SPS TBC for internal combustion engines was not very much investigated. Results from recent work in this field are briefly presented emphasizing the coating microstructure, properties and lifetime under high temperature exposure. In the case of coatings for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, coatings’ porosity is of primordial importance. Results from investigations showed that the SPS process allows a facile control of coatings’ microstructure and hence porosity, so that they can fulfil the functional requirements. Plasma spraying is the only coating deposition method approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for deposition of coatings used for implants and other surgical activities. Results from investigations done on different Hydroxyapatite suspensions deposited by SPS and their properties (adhesion, crystallinity, porosity etc.) are also outlined and discussed in this paper.

The promising results revealed by the coatings developed for applications such as those presented above, may promote SPS as a serious coating method candidate and demand for further studies and investigations, so that new coatings can be implemented in next generation products or adapted for new applications.