Influence of HVAF Process Parameters on In-Flight NiCoCrAlY Particle Oxidation and Corresponding Splat Characteristics

The deposition of MCrAlX coatings (where M is Ni, Co, Fe, or a combination of these, and X is Y, Si, Ta, Hf, or a combination of these) via thermal spraying has acquired significant importance in industries such as aerospace, power plants, oil, and gas, etc. Among various thermal spray deposition techniques, high-velocity air fuel (HVAF) has shown a growing potential for the deposition of metallic powders which are sensitive to high-temperature oxidation during spraying. Thus, it is essential to understand the in-flight behavior of these metallic particles in the high-velocity, low-temperature HVAF flame. In this work, a NiCoCrAlY powder was sprayed using two sets of HVAF deposition parameters onto stainless steel substrates. In-flight particle diagnostic tools such as AccuraSpray were employed to understand the behavior of these spray particles. The deposited particles were comprised of partially molten particles and fully deformed splats. Samples with higher powder feed rates showed a primary coating buildup on the substrate surface. EDS plots revealed no traces of inflight particle oxidation but contained carbon residue due to the presence of unburnt hydrocarbons from the fuel-rich HVAF-M3 torch. This study provides a preliminary understanding towards the significance of deposition parameters on the in-flight particle oxidation behavior and splat deformation characteristics by HVAF spraying.