Tribological behavior of plasma-sprayed Yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings on 316L stainless steel under high-temperature conditions

Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) coatings by plasma spray coating were performed to investigate the behavior of 316L Stainless Steel (SS) under high temperatures. The structural and mechanical properties of YSZ films were examined by successful scanning electron microscopy and Vickers microhardness. A tribotester determined the friction and wear properties at 500 and 1000 °C temperature conditions. The results showed that the surface hardness values of the YSZ-coated samples were significantly improved due to obtained ceramic layer compared with untreated 316L samples. Although the abrasive wear mechanism was observed in both the coated and uncoated samples, it was observed that higher temperatures produced smoother wear tracks. Also, increased wear test temperatures resulted in micro cracks and structural degradations on the surface of untreated stainless steel samples.