Adhesion of YSZ suspension plasma-sprayed coating on smooth and thin substrates

The design concept of the gas-cooled fast reactor which is a 4th generation nuclear reactor, requires protective coatings able to operate at 850 °C and protect the underlying structure in case of sudden increase of the functional temperature up to 1250 °C and depressurization from 0.70 MPa to atmospheric pressure. The parts to be covered are made of 1-mm thick materials resistant to heat and erosion and exhibiting high mechanical properties at high temperatures, such as the Haynes® 230 nickel-based alloy. In this study, the use of suspension plasma spraying to manufacture zirconia coatings is explored. The spraying conditions were optimized for the elaboration of coatings on stainless steel AISI 304L substrates and then adapted for Haynes 230 substrates. A special attention was paid to coating adhesion that was investigated by using a Vickers indentation cracking method.