Characterization of Microstructure of Nano-TiO{sub}2 Coating Deposited by Vacuum Cold Spraying

摘要

Control of the microstructure of TiO{sub}2 coatings through preparation methods significantly influences the coating performance. In this study, a vacuum cold-spray process, as a new coating technology, is used to deposit nanocrystalline TiO{sub}2 coatings on conducting glass and stainless steel substrates. TiO{sub}2 deposits were formed using two types of nanocrystalline TiO{sub}2 powders with mean particle diameters of 200 and 25 nm. Coating microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. Results demonstrate that a thick nanocrystalline TiO{sub}2 coating can be deposited by the vacuum cold-spray process. The coating was found to consist of particles stacked as agglomerates that build up to severalhundred nanometers. The coating also presents a mesoporous microstructure that could be effective in such applications as photocatalytic degradation and dye-sensitized solar cells.