Characterization of crystallographic texture in plasma-sprayed splats by electron-backscattered diffraction

The surface microtexture of splats deposited by atmospheric dc plasma spraying was studied by the electron-backscattered diffraction method. The examined splats were yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and nickel deposited onto a mirror-polished stainless steel substrate preheated to 500 K. The YSZ splats exhibited a disk-shaped morphology and had a peculiar < 111> fiber texture in their peripheral region; the fiber axes were perpendicular to the substrate at the periphery but inclined toward the center as their radial positions shifted toward the center. This implies that the microtexture of an YSZ splat cannot be regarded as a single fiber texture even when it exhibits a disk-shaped morphology. It was in contrast to nickel splats, which consisted of a single < 100> fiber texture.