Grain Orientation and Hardness in the Graded Interlayer of Plasma Sprayed W on CuCrZr

In this work a W coating was deposited through PS in Ar-H2 atmosphere on a substrate of CuCrZr with an interlayer consisting of gradually changing fractions of Cu and W. The W coating and the interlayer showed good adhesion and no cracks were observed. The hardness of W and Cu along the interlayer was determined by nano-indentation tests and the results showed that a hardness gradient does exist in both the metals. Microstructural examinations suggest that the hardness gradient depends on the texture, which exhibits significant differences along the interlayer: multiplication and movement of dislocations, and localized plasticity under the indenting tip are strongly affected by grain orientation.