Microstructure evolution and reaction mechanism of reactive plasma sprayed Ti-C-N coatings

This investigation focuses on the feasibility of the reaction synthesis of Ti-C-N phase using plasma spraying powder mixture of Ti and graphite under nitrogen ion flame flow. To regularize the microstructure and properties of the sprayed Ti-C-N coating, the microstructure evolution of the Ti-graphite-N2 system was analyzed based on water quenching tests. The reaction pathway of the Ti-graphite-N2 system has been investigated by thermodynamic calculations and thermal analysis, revealing the mechanisms of the reaction during plasma spraying. The results show that the as-deposited coatings exhibit a typical layered structure consisting mainly of TiCxNy and TiO2. The quenched powders exhibit a melting process from irregular particles to smooth spherical particles, forming complete droplets with increasing spray distance. Based on phase evolution of the quenched powders and the thermal analysis of Ti powders or Ti/graphite powders under N2/Ar atmosphere, it found that the Ti powder can reacted with graphite or N2 by solid-solid or solid-gas reaction to form TiCx and TiNy, and TiNy can be formed preferentially as compared with TiCx phase. As the spraying distance increases, the Ti and graphite reactions are enhanced, and a pronounced TiCx phase can be detected once a large liquid Ti phase is formed. As the spray distance increases, formed TiNy and TiCx phases aggregate into droplets and rapidly transform into TiCxNy phase by solid-solution reactions. In addition, titanium oxide coexists in lamellae of Ti-C-N coatings due to the absorption and dissociation of O2 from the atmosphere at the droplet surface.