Study of the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of PbSn Alloys Deposited on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

In this paper, four groups of the plasma spray process parameters (g1, g2, g3 and g4) of PbSn coatings deposited on carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites (CFRE composites) were examined. The microstructure and phase composition of the as-sprayed coatings have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The bonding strength of the coatings to the substrates was detected on a RGD-5 tensile testing machine. Results indicate that the melting extent and the bonding strength of the coatings were evidently improved and the porosity decreased with the g3 parameters. However, the phases and the content of crystalline of PbSn coatings were slightly changed with all of the parameters.