Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
208᎐212
Received 15 January 2000; received in revised form 20 December 2000; accepted 19 January 2001
Abstract
The interface between the bond layer and ceramic layer as well as between the bond layer and the substrate in a duplex coating
system consisting of a NiCrAl bond coat layer and an Al 2 O 3 q 13 wt.% TiO 2 ceramic coat layer has been investigated by
scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The lamellar bond layer mainly consists of lamellae aligning
approximately parallel to the substrate surface, in which the individual lamellae consist of a thin outer amorphous and
nanocrystalline film, an intermediate layer of fine columnar and equiaxed grains and an inner microcrystalline region of big
columnar grains. The morphology of the interfacial regions of the above two interfaces is shown to be similar and consists of a
thickness of 0.7 m, or far less, of a mixture of amorphous and nanocrystalline phases. However, besides a certain percentage of
area of perfect contact, a small amount of area of non-contact has also been detected among the lamellae or at the interfaces.
䊚 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
0040-6090r01r$ - see front matter 䊚 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 0 4 0 - 6 0 9 0 Ž 0 1 . 0 0 8 0 6 - 9
Y. Yuanzheng et al. r Thin Solid Films 388 (2001) 208᎐212 209
3.1. Morphology of the bond layer 3.2. The interface between the bond coat layer and the
substrate
The SEM morphology of the coating in cross-section
is shown in Fig. 1. The ceramic layer and bond layer As shown in Fig. 2a, the morphology of the interfa-
mainly display a lamellar structure, in which the lamel- cial regions between bond lamellae and between
lae of both the ceramic layer and bond coat layer are lamellarsubstrate is quite similar. The gap, approxi-
almost parallel to the substrate surface. The shapes of mately 0.7-m thick as shown in Fig. 2a᎐c, is precisely
lamellae of the bond layer are rather regular strips the interfacial region between the bond layer and the
Žstrictly speaking: are regular disks.. However, for the substrate owing to the fact that the interfacial phases
ceramic layer, in addition to the lamellae, spheres and are ready to be perforated during ion bombardment.
shapes intermediate between them as well as some Such a typical interface and the selecting area electron
210 Y. Yuanzheng et al. r Thin Solid Films 388 (2001) 208᎐212
Fig. 2. TEM morphology of the bond layer near to substrate: Ža. bond layer near the substrate; Žb. bright image of a bond lamella; and Žc.
corresponding dark image.
diffraction pattern are shown in Fig. 3. The side of totally up to 0.7 m or possibly far less, and consists of
columnar structure pertains to the bond layer and the amorphous phases and nanocrystalline grains layer,
other side to the steel substrate, in which there exists whereas for the region of imperfect contact at the
almost no thin region owing to the difficulty in perfo- edges of the lamellae there may exist an extremely thin
rating during ion bombardment. The selecting area gap.
diffraction pattern shows that, besides crystallites of Ni
Žcorresponding to diffraction points., some amount of 3.3. The interface between the bond coat layer and ceramic
nano crystallites NiO and a certain amount of amor- coat layer
phous phases Žcorresponding to the diffraction spot
ring and faint diffuse ring, respectively.. Thus, it can be The typical morphology of the interfacial region
concluded that the interfacial region of perfect contact between the ceramic layer and bond metal layer and
between the bond metal layer and the substrate may be the selecting area electron diffraction are shown in
Fig. 3. Ža. Local interface between the bond layer and the substrate and Žb. the selecting area electron diffraction.
Y. Yuanzheng et al. r Thin Solid Films 388 (2001) 208᎐212 211
Fig. 4. A typical morphology of the interfacial region between the ceramic coating and bond metal layer at two magnification Ža, b. and the
selecting area electron diffraction pattern Žc..
Fig. 4. The thickness of the interfacial region exhibits mately equiaxed grains, and inner main sub-layer of
also non-uniform, possibly extending up to approxi- larger columnar grains. Furthermore, within the experi-
mately 0.7 m. The selecting area diffraction pattern mental accuracy, the XRD results show that the NiCrAl
shows that micro crystallites of Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 , nano compound powder transfers into a supersaturated solid
crystallites of NiO, and amorphous phases exist. It is solution NiŽCr,Al. after plasma spraying w9x. Thus, due
demonstrated that the interfacial region is not only to the oxidation of the outermost region of bond lamel-
non-uniform but also contains amorphous phases, nano lae with the entrapped gas in plasma jet w7,10x, NiO
and micro crystallites. wmore accurately maybe NiŽCr,Al.Ox rather than Al 2 O 3
phase is to be expected at the interface. In short, the
interfacial region between the bond lamellae of perfect
4. Discussion contact consists of the outer amorphous films of neigh-
boring lamellae.
In the interfaces within bond lamellae and between
As we know, the morphology of the characteristic the bond layer and substrate as well as between cer-
lamellar microstructure is associated with the mecha- amic and bond layer, the presence of amorphous film
nism of the impact of a liquid droplet on the substrate. may mainly result from the same reasons. Besides, the
The ultra-rapid solidification of the surface of a flat- morphology of the interfacial regions of these inter-
tening droplet caused by impact results in the forma- faces is also quite similar. However, there exists some
tion of amorphous and nanocrystalline constituents in subtle differences between them as follows. Generally,
the contact layer due to homogeneous nucleation and during spraying the higher current of spraying, the
preventing grain growing. Since the amorphous film higher heat of liquid droplets. In the present study, the
acts as a thermal barrier, the rate of cooling decreases current used for spraying the ceramic and bond layers
with the depth and hence leads to formation of another is 530 and 450 A, respectively. Thus, the heat of cer-
region characterized by fine columnar and equiaxed amic droplets and the energy of impact may melt a part
grains. For the inner major part of the flatted droplet, of the bond layer hence the interface between the
the cooling rate now reduces low enough to permit the ceramicrbond layer will be widened and contain some
growth of big columnar grains, which are aligned to the compositions of bond metal. However, the liquid
surface of lamellae and oriented parallel to the direc- droplets of bond metal can melt almost no substrate
tion of the maximum heat transfer. Therefore, each owing to the lower heat of droplets and the more rapid
lamella of the bond layer may consist of an outermost heat conduction of the substrate, thus the bondrsub-
thin amorphous and nanocrystalline film, an intermedi- strate interface contains no composition of the sub-
ate region of fine columnar crystallites and approxi- strate or only a very small amount for the composition
212 Y. Yuanzheng et al. r Thin Solid Films 388 (2001) 208᎐212