Microstructure development of plasma sprayed dual-phase high entropy ceramic coating derived from spray dried and induction plasma spheroidized powder

Dual phase high entropy ceramics (DPHECs) exhibit excellent high temperature mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. Nevertheless, they cannot be applied in the structural components on large scale due to their intrinsic brittleness. Hence, DPHEC coating is a necessary development direction for industrial applications. In this study, we first fabricated micron-order DPHEC powder with high quality by precursor synthesis, spray drying (SD), and induction plasma spheroidization (IPS). The DPHEC coating was prepared by supersonic atmospheric plasma spraying (SAPS). The microstructure, phase compositions, and mechanical properties of the DPHEC powder and coating are investigated in detail. Results show that the SD&IPS powder and SAPS coating are all composed of HEB and HEC phases, showing slight composition segregation and typical global eutectic microstructure. The nanohardness and Young’s modulus are 22.17 ± 2.76 GPa and 309.79 ± 35.71 GPa, respectively. The fracture toughness was calculated to be 2.23 ± 0.17 MPa·m1/2 from the energy analysis method. The mechanical properties are enhanced by the solid solution and fine grain strengthening effects and are weakened by the intrinsic defects of plasma sprayed coating. This work provides a new method and a potential material for thermal spraying ultra-high temperature ceramic coatings.