Experimental and numerical investigation of cavitation-induced erosion in thermal sprayed single splats

Hydraulic components are coated by thermal spraying to protect them against cavitation erosion. These coatings are built up by successive deposition of single splats. The behavior of a single splat under mechanical loading is still very vaguely understood. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and stainless-steel splats were obtained by plasma spraying onto stainless steel substrates. The velocity and temperature of particles upon impact were measured and the samples were subsequently exposed to cavitation erosion tests. An acoustic cavitation simulation estimated the water jet velocity and hammer stresses exerted by bubble collapse on the surface of the specimen. Although the results suggested that high stress levels resulted from cavitation loading, it was clear that weak adhesion interfaces played a crucial role in the accelerated cavitation-induced degradation.