Evaluation of thermal sprayed coating using ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo back reflection

Thermal spraying technique is widely used in various mechanical parts as a surface reforming technique. However, as demand to maintain superior mechanical performance in harsh operating environment increases, the need for non-destructive evaluation method for thermal spray coating becomes more important. For this purpose, we thinned the thickness of the thermal sprayed coating by abrasion with blasting and used ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo reflection for effective measurement of abrasion quantity in thermal sprayed coating. The results obtained are summarized as follows. When the thickness of thermal sprayed coating becomes thin, the echo height increases. This is because thermal sprayed coatings absorb ultrasonic energy. Ultrasonic energy absorbed by Al₂O₃ is smaller compared with Fe-13Cr coating. Thermal sprayed coatings submerged in water have a lower echo height compared with air. As mentioned above, the thermal sprayed coating thickness can be estimated using ultrasonic inspection by means of bottom echo back reflection.