Plasma spraying of La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ coating

In the form of thin films, La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ has been used as a valuable functional material in many fields of electronics because of its excellent electrical and magnetic performance. However, there have been rare reports on La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ thick coatings deposited on metal substrates. For the first time, we explored the possibility of depositing La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ thick coatings on metallic substrates by the atmospheric plasma spraying technique. La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ powders as precursors for plasma spraying were first prepared by a solid-state reaction method without any granulation technique. The crystal-phase structure and surface morphology of the La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ powders and coatings thereof were examined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses, respectively. The preliminary results collected indicated that La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ coatings could be deposited efficiently. A high bonding strength above 40 MPa and a low porosity of only 3.5% could be achieved with a suitably selected set of experimental parameters. Our findings suggest that La_1-xSr_xTio_3+δ could be a promising candidate as a ceramic coating on metallic substrates for diverse applications.