Characterisation of Ti(Al,O)-Al2O3 composite powders and thermally sprayed coatings

A feedstock of Ti(Al,O)-Al2O3 composite powders was produced by high energy milling of a mixture of Al and TiO2 powders followed by a thermal reaction process. The feedstock was then thermally sprayed using a high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) technique on H13 steel substrates to produce Ti(Al,O)-Al2O3 composite coatings. The performance of the coatings was assessed in terms of thermal fatigue behaviour and reaction with molten aluminium (soldering). The composite powders and coatings were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). This paper reports the experimental observations and discusses characteristics and potential applications of the composite coatings.