NiCoCrAlX (X = Y, Hf and Si) Bond Coats by Cold Spray for High Temperature Applications

MCrAlX powder compositions (M = Ni,Co and X = Y, Hf, Si or combination) are often thermally sprayed via vacuum plasma spray (VPS), low pressure plasma spray (LPPS) or high velocity oxy-fuel to produce high temperature oxidation and hot corrosion resistant bond coats for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Cold spray technology is currently considered as a promising alternative to the traditional thermal spray solutions, having the advantage of delivering oxide-free and very dense metallic coatings at relatively lower costs compared to VPS and LPPS. NiCoCrAlY and NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coats were deposited using a high pressure cold spray system and the influence of feedstock properties on the deposited bond coats were investigated. To improve NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coat deposition, laser assisted cold spray (LACS) was employed. The results show that LACS can be successfully used to deposit this particular powder while eliminating nozzle erosion and low deposition efficiency disadvantages observed with conventional cold spray. To identify the optimal LACS setup for deposition of dense and uniform coatings, different laser/spray jet configurations were examined. TBCs with bond coats sprayed at the optimal configuration were assessed isothermally at 1150 °C in air for up to 500 h, and the results showed formation of a thermally grown oxide layer composed of predominantly Al₂O₃ with embedded small clusters of Hf-Y-rich oxides.