Prediction of in-flight particle parameters during plasma spraying of ceramic powders

A theoretical prediction model is presented to estimate the in-flight velocity, temperature, and size of a ceramic particle traversing through a plasma flame. The model accounts for the various phenomena that can influence the transport rate calculations in plasma spraying operations, which typically involve very fine particles (<50 μm) subjected to an extremely non-isothermal environment. The mathematical formulation simultaneously considers internal heat conduction in particles, accounts for the steep temperature gradients that prevail in plasma–particle systems, and incorporates the Knudsen discontinuum effects on both heat and momentum transfer. The significance of these factors is illustrated through some example calculations performed under typical plasma spraying conditions. Comparison with experimental data reveals that the present method, although simple and easy to use, enables accurate predictions to be made and can be a very useful tool in the model assisted development of various plasma–particle processing systems.

MST/1533