Alumina coatings by plasma spraying of monosize sapphire particles

A series of plasma sprayed coatings of controlled microstructure was obtained by spraying three monosize sapphire powders using an axial injection torch in which the plasma gas composition and nozzle diameter were the only processing parameters varied, The effects of changes in these parameters on the coating splat morphology, porosity, angular crack distribution, and hardness are reported. The uniform, dense microstructure and the high hardness of 14 GPa (a level usually only associated with chromia thermal spray coatings) of the best alumina coatings resulted from using tightly controlled processing conditions and monodispersed precursor powders. The microstructural quality of plasma sprayed coatings and, hence, the coating properties can be improved significantly by minimizing variations in processing and raw material parameters.