Morphology of zirconia particles exposed to D.C. arc plasma jet

Zirconia particles were sprayed into water with an arc plasma gun in order to determine the effect of various gun operating parameters on their morphology. The collected particles were examined by XRD and SEM techniques. A correlation was established between the content of spherical (molten) particles and the operating parameters by visual inspection and regression analysis. It was determined that the composition of the arc gas and the power input were the predominant parameters that affected the melting of zirconia particles.