Bimodal distribution of mechanical properties on plasma sprayed nanostructured partially stabilized zirconia

The mechanical behavior of nanostructured partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) coatings was evaluated via Knoop microhardness. The distribution of the microhardness values of the feedstock particles and coatings under a 10 g load were analyzed via Weibull statistics. The percentage of non-molten material was determined using scanning electron microcopy and image analysis. It was observed that the nanostructured coatings present a bimodal distribution in their Weibull plots, indicating the presence of two phases which are described as molten and non-molten. The presence of the bimodal distribution in the mechanical properties allows the prediction of microhardness values of these nanostructured coatings.