Abstract Plasma spraying of yttria-stabilized zirconia was carried out under chamber pressures ranging from low (30 kPa) to high pressure (300 kPa) to investigate pressure effects on the plasma jet and to clarify the potential of high-pressure plasma spraying (HPPS) as a high performance coating tool. Plasma flame length and velocity of the particles were measured in situ, and the coating characteristics including its microstructure, density, and hardness were studied. A condensed plasma f ...lame under high pressure facilitated sufficient melting of zirconia particles, resulting in high deposition efficiency and a dense coating with improved hardness, in spite of reduced particle velocity. High-pressure plasma spraying was found to be suitable for thermal spraying of high-melting-point materials such as zirconia.
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