INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Numerical simulation of the thermal spray process. Contours depict the axial jet velocity; particle colors 

indicate melt fraction (red is fully melted). Simulation performed using the LAVA code developed at the 

Idaho National Laboratory.

Coatings Coatings

Corrosion

Fracture and Mechanical Testing

High Temperature Mechanical 

Properties

Hydrogen Production and Storage 

Materials

Hydrogen Separation Materials

Irradiation

Materials Validation

Microstructure and Physical Properties

Modeling

Neutron Radiography

Nondestructive Evaluation

Post-irradiation Examination

Synthesis and Processing of Novel 

Materials

Welding and Joining

X-Ray Radiography

Capabilities/Facilities

World-class instrumented thermal spray laboratory 

for in-situ process monitoring 

and control. Advanced plasma 

coating process and system 

development.

Materials

Complex high-temperature 

intermetallics, ceramics, 

corrosion-resistant metallic 

alloys.

Scientific/Engineering 

Issues

Automation and control of 

the thermal spray process, 

high temperature protective 

coatings for energy systems, 

coatings for PWR “core 

catcher” application, fuel cell 

fabrication.

Staff

Richard Williamson, W. David Swank, Terry Totemeier, 

Richard Wright, and Peter Kong.

Recent Projects

• Thermal Plasma Program, 

DOE Office of Basic Energy Science, $520K/year 

• Microstructure Properties 

of Thermal Spray Coatings, DOE Office of Fossil 

Energy, $170K/year

Collaborations

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory

• Lehigh University

• State University of New 

York at Stony Brook

• Boston University

Publications

“Microstructure and Stresses 

in HVOF-Sprayed Iron Aluminide Coatings,” T.C. Totemeier, R.N. Wright and W.D. 

Swank, Journal of Thermal 

Spray Technology, Vol. 11, 

p. 400, 2002.

“Corrosion of Thermal Spray 

Hastelloy C-22 Coatings 

in Dilute HCl,” T.E. Lister, 

R.N. Wright, P.J. Pinhero 

and W.D. Swank, Journal of 

Thermal Spray Technology, 

Vol. 11, p. 530, 2002.

“Mechanical Properties of 

HVOF-Sprayed Iron Aluminide Coatings,” T.C. Totemeier, R.N. Wright and W.D. 

Swank, accepted for publication in Metallurgical and 

Materials Transactions A.

Continued on back
INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

05-GA50193-38

Continued from front

“Entrainment in High Velocity, High Temperature 

Plasma Jets, Part I: Experimental Results,” J.R. Fincke, 

D.M. Crawford, S.C. Snyder, 

W.D. Swank, D.C. Haggard 

and R.L. Williamson, International Journal of Heat 

and Mass Transfer, Vol. 46, 

p. 4201, 2003.

“Entrainment in High Velocity, High Temperature Plasma 

Jets, Part II: Computational 

Results and Comparison 

to Experiment,” R.L. Williamson, J.R. Fincke, D.M. 

Crawford, S.C. Snyder, W.D. 

Swank and D.C. Haggard, 

International Journal of Heat 

and Mass Transfer, Vol. 46, 

p. 4215, 2003.

“An Advanced Model for 

Plasma Spraying of Functionally Graded Materials,” Y.P. Wan, S. Sampath, 

V. Prasad, R. Williamson and 

J.R. Fincke, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 

Vol. 137, p. 110, 2003.

“Numerical Study of the 

Relative Importance of Turbulence, Particle Size and Density, and Injection Parameters 

on Particle Behavior During 

Thermal Plasma Spraying,” 

R.L. Williamson, J.R. Fincke 

and C.H. Chang, Journal of 

Thermal Spray Technology, 

Vol. 11, p. 107, 2002.

“FeAl and Mo-Si-B 

Intermatellic Coatings 

Prepared by Thermal 

Spraying,” T.C. Totemeier, 

R.N. Wright, and 

W.D. Swank, Intermetallics, 

Vol. 12 (2004), pp. 1335-

1344.

“Residual Stresses in HighVelocity Oxy-Fuel Metallic 

Coatings,” T.C. Totemeier, R.N. Wright, and W.D. 

Swank, Metallurigical and 

Materials Transactions A, Vol. 

35A (2004), pp. 1807-1814.

Passive diagnostics of sprayed particleʼs temperature, size and velocity with active control capability.

For more information

INL is a U.S. Department of Energy 

national laboratory operated by 

Battelle Energy Alliance

Richard N. Wright, Ph.D.

(208) 526-6127

Richard.Wright@inl.gov

Douglas C. Crawford, Ph.D.

(208) 533-7456

Douglas.Crawford@inl.gov

www.inl.gov/envenergyscience/materials