Ti-based Quasicrystal Layers Produced by Plasma Thermal Spraying

[ $Ti_{45}Zr_{38}Ni_{17}$ ] powders were thermally sprayed onto mild steel substrates in air and under a reduced pressure of argon. Several oxides were formed after thermally-spraying the mechanically-alloyed powders in air. After spraying in a reduced pressure of argon, the coating layers obtained from the gently mixed powders consisted of the elemental metals, but an amorphous phase primarily appeared in the thermally-sprayed mechanically-alloyed powders, which transformed into the icosahedral quasicrystal phase and a minor $Ti_2Ni-type$ crystal phase after annealing at 828 K. The Vickers hardness and the contact angle with pure water for the quasicrystal layers were about 7 GPa and $92^{\circ}$ respectively.