Finite element simulation techniques (FE) have been applied to the spreading process of a ceramic liquid droplet impacting on a flat cold surface under plasma-spraying conditions. The goal of the present investigation is to predict the geometrical form of the splat as a function of process parameters, such as initial temperature and velocity, and to follow the thermal field developing in the droplet up to solidification.

A non-linear finite element procedure has been extended in order to model the complex physical phenomena involved in the present impact process. The dynamic motion of the viscous melt in the drops as constrained by elastic surface tension and the developing contact with the target, has been coupled to transient thermal phenomena accounting also for the solidification of the material.

In a first approach, the impact of spherical particles of liquid ceramic of given temperature and velocity has been studied for a cool rigid target with a flat surface. The deformation of the splat geometry as well as the evolution of the thermal field within the splat are followed up to the final state and require the employment of adaptive discretization techniques.

We discuss the correlation of flattening degrees with the initial process parameters as resulting from the proposed model.

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