Heat load behaviors of plasma sprayed tungsten coatings on copper alloys with different compliant layers

Plasma sprayed tungsten (PS-W) coatings with the compliant layers of titanium (Ti), nickel–chromium–aluminum (NiCrAl) alloys and W/Cu mixtures were fabricated on copper alloys, and their properties of the porosity, oxygen content, thermal conductivity and bonding strength were measured. High heat flux tests of actively cooled W coatings were performed by means of an electron beam facility. The results indicated that APS-W coating showed a poorer heat transfer capability and thermo-mechanical properties than VPS-W coating, and the compliant layers improved W coating performance under the heat flux load. Among three compliant layers, W/Cu was the preferable because of its better effects on heat removal and stress alleviating. The optimization of W/Cu compliant layer found that 0.1 mm and 25 vol.%W was optimum compliant layer structure for 1 mm W coating, which induced a 23% reduction of the maximum stress compared to the sharp interface, and the plastic strain was reduced to 0.01% from 1.55%.