Patent ID: 7681622

Claim:
A method of thermal spray forming a heterogeneous coating in situ on a surface of a metallic substrate, said method comprising: selecting a cermet powder comprised of complex composite particles, said complex composite particles having an average particle size and comprising a core ceramic-metallic composite particle substantially encapsulated within ductile metal matrix precursor, said complex composite particles having an average particle size of from approximately 1 to 600 microns, said core ceramic-metallic composite particle comprising at least ceramic particles and a ductile metallic binder; establishing a thermal spray of said cermet powder wherein said ductile metallic binder and ductile metal matrix precursor are at least softened and said core ceramic-metallic composite particles substantially retain their individual identities; impinging said thermal spray of cermet powder with a force on said surface, said force being sufficient to cause said core ceramic-metallic composite particles to form approximately lenticular shaped ceramic rich cermet regions in a ductile metal matrix, said ductile metal matrix being substantially continuous and substantially formed from said ductile metal matrix precursor, said ceramic rich cermet regions being generally isolated from one another, embedded within said ductile metal matrix, and having a average width and an average thickness, said average width being at least approximately twice said average thickness, said approximately lenticular shaped ceramic rich cermet regions being oriented approximately parallel to one another; and recovering a said heterogeneous coating wherein said approximately lenticular shaped ceramic rich cermet regions comprise from approximately 30 to 95 volume percent of said heterogeneous coating with the balance of said heterogeneous coating being said ductile metal matrix.