Relationship analyses on environmental factors-ablation performance based on ZrC-TaC system: Oxygen partial pressure and gas flow scouring

For better understanding on effects of ablation environmental factors (oxygen partial pressure P(O₂) and gas flow scouring), multiple experiments and multiscale simulations based on thermally sprayed ZrC-TaC system were conducted. High P(O₂) was found helpful to accelerate Ta₂O₅/ZrO₂ mutual diffusion by variable P(O₂) oxidation at 1500 ℃ (5–50 kPa). Effects of gas flow scouring was evaluated by flow filed simulation coupling laser and oxyacetylene ablations, from which its promotion effect on Ta₂O₅/ZrO₂ diffusion efficiency was found. The increased Ta₂O₅/ZrO₂ diffusion efficiency will accelerate the structure instability of Ta doped c-ZrO₂ skeletons due to Zr-O bond length extension around Ta atoms.