Microstructural characterization of plasma-sprayed ferrous alloys

Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to study the metastable phases and their transformation products which were obtained in a plasma-sprayed ferrous alloy coating of composition 3.2 wt% C, 0.35 wt.% Mn and the balance iron. The small percentage of the rapidly quenched and thus highly metastable phases which were obtained and their fine size made overall phase analysis and particle characterization most difficult. The combined use of the above techniques permitted an improved characterization of the coating.