Patent ID: 7070835

Claim:
A method of depositing a coating on a substrate using a spray process, the method comprising: selecting a first desired dominant microstructure and morphology feature for the coating to be deposited on the substrate, the first desired dominant microstructure and morphology feature known to be produced using the spray process having a first in-flight particle temperature distribution and a first in-flight particle velocity distribution; selecting a second desired dominant microstructure and morphology feature for the coating to be deposited on the substrate, the second desired dominant microstructure and morphology feature known to be produced using the spray process having a second in-flight particle temperature distribution different from the first in-flight particle temperature distribution and a second in-flight particle velocity distribution different from the first in-flight particle velocity distribution; and controlling the spray process so that a stream of particles directed toward the substrate has at least one in-flight particle distribution selected from the group of an in-flight particle temperature distribution and an in-flight particle velocity distribution whereby the at least one in-flight particle distribution produces at least one of the first and the second desired dominant microstructure and morphology features in the coating after being deposited on the substrate.