DEPOSITION OF A CERAMIC COATING ON A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER BY ATMOSPHERIC PLASMA AND LASER CLADDING

Alumina powder was deposited on a thermoplastic polymer using an atmos pheric plasma and laser (CO2, lambda=10.6 mu m). The results have show n that a mechanical anchorage of the ceramic exists on the surface of the polymer, regardless of the technique used or different ceramic str uctures. In addition, the morphology of the poly(ethyleneterephthalate ) changes during the treatments and the polymer crystallizes. Hence, d ifferent techniques were used to investigate the morphological changes (crystallization and amorphization) by X-ray analysis (wide-angle X-r ay diffraction) and to observe the structural modifications by microin dentation hardness testing. In this way, knowledge of the morphology o f the material after laser cladding or plasma spraying enables us to c haracterize the mechanical properties of the samples.