Microstructure of Deposits Sprayed by a High Power Torch with Flash Boiling Atomization of High-Concentration Suspensions

Saeid Amrollahy Biouki; Fadhel Ben Ettouil; Andre C Liberati; Ali Dolatabadi; Christian Moreau

doi:10.3390/ma17071493

Microstructure of Deposits Sprayed by a High Power Torch with Flash Boiling Atomization of High-Concentration Suspensions

Materials (Basel). 2024 Mar 25;17(7):1493. doi: 10.3390/ma17071493.

Authors

Saeid Amrollahy Biouki¹, Fadhel Ben Ettouil¹, Andre C Liberati¹, Ali Dolatabadi², Christian Moreau¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada.
² Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to use flash boiling atomization as a new method to inject suspensions with high solid content into the high-power plasma flow. The water-based suspension was prepared with submicron titanium oxide particles with an average size of 500 nm. The investigated solid concentrations were 20, 40, 55 and 70 wt%. Two plasma torches operated at 33, 70 and 110 kW were used to investigate the effect of increasing power on the deposited microstructure and deposition efficiency. At low torch power, the deposition efficiency decreased with increasing solid concentration, and deposits with a high number of unmelted particles were obtained with 70 wt% suspensions. At high torch power, the deposition efficiency increased with increasing solid concentration, and dense deposits were obtained with 70 wt% suspensions. XRD analysis was performed on all deposits to determine the distribution of rutile and anatase phases. The percentage of the anatase phase varied from 35.7% to 66.9%, depending on the power input and solid concentration.

Keywords: flash boiling atomization; high concentration suspension; high plasma torch power; suspension plasma spray.

Grants and funding

The authors would like to thank the financial support of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada (NSERC) and the Canada Research Chairs Program.