Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 20, Nos. 5/6, 2004 377 Copyright © 2004 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Rapid solidification of plasma sprayed advanced materials: nanostructure characterisation C. Bartuli* and T. Valente University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Via Eudossiana, 18-00184 Rome RM, Italy E-mail: bartuli@uniroma1.it E-mail: teodoro.valente@uniroma1.it *Corresponding author E. Bemporad and F. Carassiti University ‘Roma Tre’, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Via della Vasca Navale 79-00146 Rome RM, Italy Abstract: Composite ZrB 2 -SiC materials offer well known resistance to ablation at high temperature. An inert plasma spraying technique was used to manufacture composite ZrB 2 -SiC as potential thermal protection systems for composite based substrates. Due to the rapid solidification experienced by sprayed droplets, amorphous and/or nanostructured phases can be formed; advanced characterization techniques are therefore required in order to collect all the necessary data for process/product optimisation. In addition, silicon carbide, selected for its contribution to the oxidation resistance of the ceramic coating, is well known to be considered as a non sprayable material, due to the lack of a stable liquid phase. In this paper two issues are investigated: the first is the use of advanced characterization techniques, such as high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, for microstructural analysis of plasma sprayed coatings. The second is the evaluation of possible implications of rapid solidification processes in composite systems for which at least one liquid phase is not stable, but, at the same time, the development of eutectic-like structures results in the formation of nanostructured stable solid phases. Keywords: plasma spray; CAPS; ZrB 2 -SiC; eutectic; nanostructure; TEM; SAD; thermal protection system. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Bartuli, C., Valente, T., Bemporad, E. and Carassiti, F. (2004) ‘Rapid solidification of plasma sprayed advanced materials: nanostructure characterisation’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 20, Nos. 5/6, pp.377–391. Biographical notes: Cecilia Bartuli received her degree in chemical engineering from the University of Padua, Italy, in 1989. Since then she works as a Research Engineer at the department of chemical and materials engineering of the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy. She is involved in research activities concerning thermal sprayed coatings produced by Controlled Atmosphere Plasma Spray and HVOF. The main topics of interest are wear