Fabrication of W/Cu composite coatings by supersonic atmosphere plasma spraying and their anti-ablation performance under oxyacetylene torch

W/Cu composite coatings were prepared by supersonic atmosphere plasma spraying (SAPS) on SiC coated C/C composites. Results indicated that 45 kW is suitable to prepare W/Cu coating, and the micro-hardness of W/Cu coatings decrease with the increase of Cu content. The average bonding strength between W/Cu coatings and SiC coated C/C composites exceed 20 MPa. The anti-ablation property of W/Cu coatings with different Cu content was studied under oxyacetylene torch, W12Cu (wt. 12% Cu) coating shows excellent anti-ablation performance. Compared with pure W coating, the linear ablation rate of W12Cu coating decrease by 63% under heat flux of 2.4 MW/m2 and 87% under heat flux of 4.2 MW/m2, respectively. During oxyacetylene ablation, molten Cu film that formed on the surface of coating protected coating from oxidization, sweating and cooling effect of Cu phase decreased the surface temperature of W/Cu coating 300 °C at most, these were beneficial to good ablation resistance property of W/Cu coating. •W/Cu composite coatings with different Cu content were prepared on SiC coated C/C composites by SAPS.•The average bonding strength between W/Cu composite coatings and substrate exceed 20 MPa.•The surface temperature of W/Cu coating decreased by 300 °C at most compared with pure W coating during ablation.•W/Cu composite coating with wt. 12% Cu exhibits the best ablation resistance performance.