Effects of 316SS addition on the properties of the coatings based on Al2O3 applied by plasma spraying

Ceramic plasma-sprayed coatings are successfully used for prolonging the service life of industrial components where high wear and corrosion resistance are required. In this work, various types of coatings based on alumina were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying on 304 L austenitic stainless steel substrate. These coatings were used in further tribological studies. For the atmospheric plasma spraying applications, spraying parameter choices such as carrier gases, plasma enthalpy, current intensity, spraying distance, and particles granulometry are the key issues. Two kinds of Al2O3 particle sizes 2–12 µm (Amperit) and 15–45 µm (Norton) were used to prepare pure and composite coatings. The spraying distance was varied from 90 mm to 120 mm. Microstructure characterization performed by scanning electron microscopy showed that the Amperit powders projected at a distance of 90 mm provided better cohesion and a more dense microstructure. However, the choice of the spraying distance of 120 mm was defined t...