Surface modification of CoCrAlY coating by high-current pulsed electron beam treatment under the “evaporation” mode

High current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) was conducted on a CoCrAlY coating. The microstructure evolution and surface morphology of the coatings were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and three-dimensional laser scanning microscope (LSM), respectively. XRD result shows that Al2O3 and YAlO3 phases were recorded in the irradiated coatings. Co-based oxides which originally existed in the initial samples disappeared and the content of CoAl peaks significantly reduced as the pulses increased. Microstructure observations reveal that the coarse surface was melted and the structural defects inherent in the initial coatings were sealed after HCPEB irradiation. Surface features such as wavy aspects with abundant particulates as well as nano-scale bubbles and chemistry modifications were discussed as the consequence of the evaporation-condensation process.