Quasi Non-Destructive Quality Assessment of Thermally Sprayed AISI 316L Coatings Using Polarization Measurements in 3.5% NaCl Gel Electrolyte

There is currently a lack of suitable methods of non-destructive quality assessment of thermally sprayed coatings. Therefore, this study investigates the suitability of polarization measurements that are adapted to the special needs of thermally sprayed coatings for non-destructive quality testing. For this purpose, a gel electrolyte containing 3.5% NaCl and a measuring cell based on the three-electrode arrangement were developed to prevent the corrosion medium from infiltrating the typical microstructure of thermally sprayed coatings (pores and microcracks). The newly developed method was evaluated on AISI 316L coatings deposited by high velocity air fuel (HVAF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The polarization curves showed significant differences as a result of spraying process-related changes in the coating microstructure. Even slight differences in oxide content within the AISI 316L coating produced by APS can be detected by the new method. In order to verify the new findings, the coatings were analyzed regarding their microstructure by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The measuring cell and gel electrolyte developed offer a promising opportunity to evaluate the quality of thermally sprayed coatings in a largely non-destructive manner using polarization curves.