Quantitative analysis of pores of two types in a plasma-sprayed coating

Quantitative microstructural analyses of thermally sprayed coatings are reviewed. Then a ceramic plasma-sprayed coating is analysed using light microscopy and image analysis. Globular pores and interlamellar flat pores are reconstructed from serial sections of a specimen and their volume and surface area histograms are estimated. The spatial distribution of pores is described using a method based on 3D distances and testing of complete spatial randomness is performed. Interpretations of results in terms of the physical background of the material are discussed.